Where the Congo River crosses zero latitude — the most isolated equatorial river city in Africa
Mbandaka is the capital of Équateur province in northwestern DRC, sitting almost exactly on the equator where the Congo River flows through the world's second-largest tropical rainforest. With around 400,000 people, it is one of the most isolated cities of its size in Africa — accessible mainly by river boat from Kinshasa (1,000km, taking 5-10 days depending on the vessel) or by the intermittent Mbandaka Airport. The city is surrounded on all sides by the Congo Basin rainforest, and the wildlife, forest peoples, and river life of this region are among the least-documented in the world.
Mbandaka was founded by Belgian colonial administration as Coquilhatville in 1889 (named after Camille-Aimé Coquilhat, a Belgian Force Publique officer) and served as the administrative capital of Équateur. Renamed Mbandaka after independence under Mobutu's authenticity campaign in 1966. The city was the site of documented colonial atrocities recorded by the Congo Reform Association in 1904. The 2018 Ebola outbreak in Équateur province briefly reached Mbandaka — marking the first time an Ebola outbreak reached a large urban centre and prompting new containment protocols.