Nord-Ubangi (French for “North Ubangi”) is a province in northern DR Congo, along the Ubangi River on the Central African Republic border. Its capital is Gbadolite, and its projected 2020 population was 1,542,500 people in 56,644 km².
It is one of the 26 provinces created by the 2015 repartitioning, when the former Équateur province was split into five. Nord-Ubangi was formed from the old Nord-Ubangi district plus the separately administered city of Gbadolite, which became the capital.
| Capital | Gbadolite |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,542,500 (projected, 2020) |
| Area | 56,644 km² |
| Density | About 27 people per km² |
| Territories | 4 |
| Cities | 1 (Gbadolite) |
| Languages | French (official); Lingala, Ngbandi |
| Neighbours | Sud-Ubangi, Mongala, Bas-Uele, Central African Republic |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Nord-Ubangi has four territories and one statutory city. Each territory is named after its headquarters town.
| Territory or city | Headquarters | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gbadolite | City (ville) | Provincial capital |
| Bosobolo | Bosobolo | Western territory |
| Businga | Businga | On the Mongala River |
| Mobayi-Mbongo | Mobayi-Mbongo | Ubangi crossing, hydro dam |
| Yakoma | Yakoma | Uele–Ubangi confluence |
Gbadolite is the largest place, with figures ranging from about 48,000 to 198,800 depending on whether the count covers the town or the wider city area. Businga is next at roughly 32,600, then Bosobolo at about 16,400, Yakoma at 11,700 to 12,900, and Mobayi-Mbongo at around 5,600. Mobayi-Mbongo was called Banzyville in the colonial period, and the name still appears on older maps.
Geography
The Ubangi River runs along the province’s entire northern edge and is the border with the Central African Republic. Mobayi-Mbongo sits opposite the CAR town of Mobaye, and Yakoma stands on the south bank of the Uele River exactly where the Uele empties into the Ubangi.
The Mongala River rises in the province and passes Businga, about 190 km north-east of its junction with the Congo. Ten kilometres east of Businga the Mongala splits, with the Ebola River branching north — the river that gave the disease its name after the 1976 outbreak downstream in Mongala.
Nord-Ubangi borders Sud-Ubangi to the west, Mongala to the south and Bas-Uele to the east. The landscape is wooded savanna in the north grading into forest in the south.
Demographics
Density runs at about 27 people per km², placing Nord-Ubangi in the middle of the five provinces cut from the old Équateur. Settlement follows the Ubangi and the road linking Gbadolite to Businga and Gemena.
The Ngbandi are the largest group, alongside the Mbaka, Pagibete, Ngombe, Furu, Banda and Banziri. French is official, Lingala is the shared spoken language, and Ngbandi is the home language across much of the province.
Economy and Local Life
Farming carries the province: cassava, maize, rice, groundnuts and beans for the household, with coffee and oil palm as cash crops. The savanna supports more livestock than the forest provinces south of here.
Fishing on the Ubangi and the Uele feeds the town markets, and cross-border trade with the Central African Republic is a steady earner at Mobayi-Mbongo and Yakoma. The small hydroelectric station at Mobayi-Mbongo has run since 1989 and exports power across the river to the CAR, which makes it one of the few generating assets in the region.
History
Yakoma began as a Congo Free State trading post in 1894, and its early years were violent: the first agents extracted rubber and ivory by force. A sleeping sickness epidemic hit the town hard, and more than 200 victims were buried there between November 1910 and August 1911.
Gbadolite is the province’s defining story. Mobutu Sese Seko, born downriver in Lisala, rebuilt the town as a presidential seat — three palaces, a hydroelectric dam, hospitals, schools and an airport with a runway long enough for Concorde. It was nicknamed the “Versailles of the Jungle.” When Laurent-Désiré Kabila’s forces took the country in 1997 the palaces were looted, and the following year Jean-Pierre Bemba’s MLC made Gbadolite its headquarters. The ruins are still there.
Getting There
Gbadolite Airport is the way in. Mobutu built it to international standard and its runway remains the longest in the region, though scheduled traffic is now limited to flights from Kinshasa, about 1,150 km to the south-west.
Overland, roads run west to Gemena and south to Businga and Lisala, all earth-surfaced and seasonal. River access is via the Ubangi, with crossings to the Central African Republic at Mobayi-Mbongo and Yakoma. There is no through road that avoids the rains, so travel here is planned around the dry months.
FAQ
What is the capital of Nord-Ubangi?
Gbadolite, 12 km south of the Ubangi River near the Central African Republic border. It holds separate city (ville) status.
How many territories does Nord-Ubangi have?
Four: Bosobolo, Businga, Mobayi-Mbongo and Yakoma. The city of Gbadolite is administered separately from all four.
What is the population of Nord-Ubangi?
About 1,542,500, projected for 2020. It is the least populous of the five provinces created from the old Équateur.
Why is Gbadolite famous?
Mobutu Sese Seko turned it into his presidential seat, with palaces, a dam and a Concorde-capable airport. It was nicknamed the “Versailles of the Jungle.”
What language is spoken in Nord-Ubangi?
French is official and Lingala is the shared spoken language. Ngbandi is the main home language, with Mbaka, Banda and Banziri also spoken.
Which country borders Nord-Ubangi?
The Central African Republic, across the Ubangi River along the whole northern edge of the province.