Mongala is a province in northern DR Congo, strung along the north bank of the Congo River. Its capital is Lisala, and its projected 2020 population was 2,114,100 people in 58,141 km².
It is one of the 26 provinces created by the 2015 repartitioning, formed from the old Mongala district when the former Équateur province was divided into five. Mongala is the most densely settled of that group after Sud-Ubangi.
| Capital | Lisala |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,114,100 (projected, 2020) |
| Area | 58,141 km² |
| Density | About 36 people per km² |
| Territories | 3 |
| Cities | 1 (Lisala) |
| Languages | French (official); Lingala, Lomongo |
| Neighbours | Sud-Ubangi, Nord-Ubangi, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, Tshuapa, Équateur |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Mongala has just three territories, the fewest of the five provinces carved from old Équateur, plus the city of Lisala. Each territory is named after its headquarters town.
| Territory or city | Headquarters | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lisala | City (ville) | Provincial capital |
| Bongandanga | Bongandanga | Inland, Lomako basin |
| Bumba | Bumba | Largest town, river port |
| Lisala | Lisala | Congo River |
Bumba is the biggest place in the province at roughly 103,000 residents, ahead of Lisala at about 79,000. Binga, also on the Congo in Bumba Territory, counted around 64,600. Bongandanga town itself is small, about 3,600 people. The village of Yambuku, north-east of Bumba, is where the first Ebola outbreak was recorded in 1976, and it remains the province’s best-known name outside DR Congo.
Geography
The Congo River forms Mongala’s southern boundary and carries its traffic. The province takes its name from the Mongala River, which flows south-west and joins the Congo just downstream of Lisala. The Lomako and Lopori drain the southern territories toward Équateur.
Mongala borders Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi to the west and north, Bas-Uele to the north-east, Tshopo to the east, and Tshuapa and Équateur to the south. Most of the province is tropical monsoon country; the far south shades into full rainforest.
Demographics
About 36 people live per km², roughly double the figure for neighbouring Tshuapa. The population clusters on the Congo River road between Lisala and Bumba.
The main peoples are the Ngombe, the Anamongo (Mongo) groups, the Babudza, Bapoto, Babango and Pagibete. French is official. Lingala is the working language of the river and the towns, and Lomongo is used in Lisala and the southern villages.
Economy and Local Life
Mongala is farming and river-trade country. Cassava, plantain, rice, maize and groundnuts feed households, and coffee, oil palm and rubber are the traditional cash crops, grown on smallholdings and on the remnants of colonial estates.
Fishing on the Congo and the Mongala supplies smoked fish to the town markets. Bumba is the commercial centre: it is the loading point for produce heading downriver to Kinshasa and the distribution point for goods coming up. Timber moves out of Bongandanga and Binga by barge. Bumba has neither a mains electricity supply nor piped water, which shapes what businesses can operate there.
History
The area was the Mongala district of the colonial and post-colonial Équateur province. Between 1963 and 1966 it was briefly part of a province called Moyen-Congo, and Bumba was the seat of a short-lived secessionist state in 1963. Lisala is the birthplace of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country from 1965 to 1997. The 2015 reform turned the district into a province with Lisala as capital.
Getting There
The Congo River is the main way in and out. Barges between Kinshasa and Kisangani call at Lisala and Bumba, and the trip from Kinshasa takes well over a week depending on the convoy.
Bumba Airport handles light aircraft, and Lisala has an airstrip. The narrow-gauge railway from Bumba to Isiro has not run since at least 2007, so do not plan around it. Road links to Gemena and Buta exist but are earth surfaces that degrade badly in the rains.
FAQ
What is the capital of Mongala province?
Lisala, a Congo River port of about 79,000 people. It has separate city (ville) status and is the birthplace of Mobutu Sese Seko.
How many territories does Mongala have?
Three: Bongandanga, Bumba and Lisala. That is the fewest of any province created from the old Équateur.
What is the largest town in Mongala?
Bumba, with roughly 103,000 residents. It is the province’s main river port and commercial centre, larger than the capital.
What is the population of Mongala?
About 2,114,100, projected for 2020. DR Congo has not held a census since 1984, so this is a projection and not a count.
Where is Yambuku?
Yambuku is a village in Bumba Territory, Mongala. The first recorded Ebola outbreak began at its mission hospital in 1976.
What language is spoken in Mongala?
French is official, Lingala is the common spoken language, and Lomongo is used around Lisala and in the southern villages.