Équateur is a province in north-west DR Congo, sitting astride the equator on the middle Congo River. Its capital is Mbandaka, and its projected 2020 population was 1,856,000 people spread over 103,902 km².
It is one of the 26 provinces created by the 2015 repartitioning, when the old Équateur province was split into five: Équateur, Tshuapa, Mongala, Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi. The new province was built from the former Équateur district plus the city of Mbandaka, which kept its capital status.
| Capital | Mbandaka |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,856,000 (projected, 2020) |
| Area | 103,902 km² |
| Density | About 18 people per km² |
| Territories | 7 |
| Cities | 1 (Mbandaka) |
| Languages | French (official); Lingala, Lomongo |
| Neighbours | Sud-Ubangi, Mongala, Tshuapa, Mai-Ndombe, Republic of the Congo |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Équateur has seven territories and one statutory city. Each territory takes its name from its headquarters town, and every one of those headquarters is small — only Mbandaka passes 100,000 people.
| Territory or city | Headquarters | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mbandaka | City (ville) | Provincial capital |
| Basankusu | Basankusu | Lulonga river port |
| Bikoro | Bikoro | Near Lake Tumba |
| Bolomba | Bolomba | Inland forest |
| Bomongo | Bomongo | On the Ubangi |
| Ingende | Ingende | Ruki basin |
| Lukolela | Lukolela | Congo River town |
| Makanza | Makanza | Also spelled Mankanza |
Population estimates for the main towns run: Mbandaka about 324,000, Mankanza 18,100, Lukolela 15,200, Bikoro 7,100, Bolomba 4,300 and Ingende 4,000. Basankusu, the largest town in the north of the province, counted roughly 23,800 residents. Below that level the province is village country: Basankusu Territory alone is organised into three sectors, 39 groupings and 323 villages, which is the pattern across all seven territories.
Geography
The province lies in the central Congo Basin, almost entirely under lowland rainforest. The Congo River runs along its western and northern edge, joined at Mbandaka by the Ruki, which drains the Momboyo and Busira rivers from the east. The Lulonga enters the Congo further north after the Lopori and Maringa meet at Basankusu.
Équateur borders Sud-Ubangi to the north, Mongala to the north-east, Tshuapa to the east and Mai-Ndombe to the south. Across the Congo and Ubangi rivers to the west lies the Republic of the Congo. Lake Tumba, one of the country’s largest shallow lakes, sits on the southern boundary near Bikoro.
Demographics
At roughly 18 people per km², Équateur is thinly settled even by Congolese standards. Most people live along the rivers, because the rivers are the roads.
The main peoples are the Mongo groups (Anamongo), together with the Ngombe, Babangi, Baloi, Babala, Babolia and Batwa forest communities. French is the official language of administration. Lingala is the everyday trade language on the river, and Lomongo is widely spoken inland, especially around Basankusu and Ingende.
Economy and Local Life
Farming and fishing carry the province. Households grow cassava, plantain, maize, rice and groundnuts, and cut palm fruit for oil. Fishing camps line the Congo, the Ruki and Lake Tumba, and smoked fish moves upriver and down as a cash crop.
Timber and non-timber forest products — bushmeat, caterpillars, raffia, honey — matter to household income. Coffee and rubber plantations from the colonial period survive only in patches. Mbandaka is the trading hub: goods arrive by barge from Kinshasa and are redistributed to Basankusu, Lukolela and Bikoro by smaller boats.
History
Henry Morton Stanley founded a post at the equator in 1883 and called it Équateurville. The Belgians renamed it Coquilhatville in 1886; it became Mbandaka in 1966. Until 2015 the town was the capital of a much larger Équateur province covering the whole north-west. That province was dissolved into five, and the present Équateur is the smallest piece of it by population.
Getting There
Mbandaka Airport handles the main scheduled flights from Kinshasa, and is the practical way in for most travellers. The alternative is the river: barge convoys between Kinshasa and Mbandaka take four to seven days, and continue upstream toward Boende and Lisala.
Road conditions are poor. Most streets in Mbandaka itself are unpaved, and the tracks linking Bikoro, Ingende and Bolomba are seasonal. Basankusu and Lukolela are reached most reliably by boat.
FAQ
What is the capital of Équateur province?
Mbandaka, a city on the east bank of the Congo River at the mouth of the Ruki. It has around 324,000 residents and holds separate city (ville) status.
How many territories does Équateur have?
Seven: Basankusu, Bikoro, Bolomba, Bomongo, Ingende, Lukolela and Makanza. The city of Mbandaka is administered separately from all of them.
What is the population of Équateur?
About 1,856,000, projected for 2020. DR Congo has held no census since 1984, so every current figure is a projection rather than a count.
What languages are spoken in Équateur?
French is official. Lingala is the common spoken language along the rivers, and Lomongo is widely used inland by the Mongo peoples.
Which provinces border Équateur?
Sud-Ubangi, Mongala, Tshuapa and Mai-Ndombe. The Republic of the Congo lies across the Congo and Ubangi rivers to the west.
Is Équateur the same as the old Équateur province?
No. The pre-2015 Équateur province was much larger. It was divided in 2015 into Équateur, Tshuapa, Mongala, Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi.