Mbandaka
Encyclopedia
Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville or Coquilhatstad (named after Camille-Aimé Coquilhat
), is a city on the Congo River
in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo
and Ruki Rivers. The capital of the Equateur District
, it is home to an airport
and is linked by ferry
to Kinshasa
and Boende
. The city's population is approximately (2004).
Mbandaka is largely populated by people of the Mongo ethnic group, although people from many different regions live in the city. The main languages spoken in Mbandaka are Lingala
, French
and Mongo
.
Years of war and neglect have taken a heavy toll on the city infrastructure, with no electricity or running water in large sectors of the city. Most of the streets and avenues of the city are dirt roads.
with the name of "Equateur". In fact the Town Hall is about 6.6 kilometers north of the Geographic Equator
Line. Stanley placed a large "Equator Stone" near the river bank south of the city to mark the point where he believed the Equator to cross the river. It remains there today. Due to its symbolic location close to the equator and the Congo River there were early plans to locate the capital of the Congo Free State in Mbandaka. Although plans were made they were never realized and thus remained solely on the drawing board. These plans included an infrastructure for an estimated population of 100,000 people, a train station, a Catholic cathedral, a governors residence and a palace for future visits of Leopold II
.
In 1886, at the beginning of their colonial rule, the Belgians changed the city's name to "Coquilhatville".
During the colonial time in 1938 works started on a bridge over the Congo River connecting Mbandaka with the French Congo. Work was abandoned at the outbreak of WWII and today only the foundations of the bridge pillars remain. In the 1930s several other projects were started by the Belgian colonial administration, including several factories and a new city hall. The city hall was completed only after the war in 1947 and was at that time, with a height of 39 meters, the tallest building in the Belgian Congo. On top of the city hall was a statue of Leopold II
. The city hall was destroyed by a fire in 1963.
In 1966 the name was changed once again, this time by the new independent government, to "Mbandaka" to honor a prominent local leader.
Hundreds of people (mainly Hutu
refugees, women and children) in the city were massacred on May 13, 1997 near the end of the First Congo Civil War
.
served as missionary with the Disciples of Christ Church in Mbandaka from 1973-76. The housing project Fuller started in Mbandaka in 1973 became the original project of Habitat for Humanity when Fuller founded Habitat upon his return to the United States.
under Koppen's climate classification
. The city does feature wetter and drier months, with the driest month, January averaging around 80 mm of precipitation per year. However the city does not have a dry season
, all months average above 60 mm of precipitation in a year. Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average temperatures ranging from 23-26 degrees Celsius during the course of the year.
Camille-Aimé Coquilhat
Camille-Aimé Coquilhat was a Belgian soldier, civil servant and governor-general of Congo Free State until his death on March 24th, 1892. The city Mbandaka, was during the Belgian colonial period named Coquilhatville. Coquilhat was born in Liège.-References:* * *...
), is a city on the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
and Ruki Rivers. The capital of the Equateur District
Équateur District
Équateur District is a district located in the Équateur province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, it is home to an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
and is linked by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
and Boende
Boende
Boende is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the Tshuapa River, east of Mbandaka. It is the capital of Tshuapa District. It is a river port with ferries sailing to Kinshasa via Mbandanka and is also home to an airport. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 36,158. The...
. The city's population is approximately (2004).
Mbandaka is largely populated by people of the Mongo ethnic group, although people from many different regions live in the city. The main languages spoken in Mbandaka are Lingala
Lingala language
Lingala, or Ngala, is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo , as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Mongo
Mongo language
Mongo, also called Nkundo or Mongo-Nkundu, is a language spoken by several of the Mongo peoples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mongo speakers reside in central DRC, mostly south of the Congo River. Mongo is a tonal language....
.
Years of war and neglect have taken a heavy toll on the city infrastructure, with no electricity or running water in large sectors of the city. Most of the streets and avenues of the city are dirt roads.
History
Mbandaka was founded in 1883 by Henry Morton StanleyHenry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
with the name of "Equateur". In fact the Town Hall is about 6.6 kilometers north of the Geographic Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
Line. Stanley placed a large "Equator Stone" near the river bank south of the city to mark the point where he believed the Equator to cross the river. It remains there today. Due to its symbolic location close to the equator and the Congo River there were early plans to locate the capital of the Congo Free State in Mbandaka. Although plans were made they were never realized and thus remained solely on the drawing board. These plans included an infrastructure for an estimated population of 100,000 people, a train station, a Catholic cathedral, a governors residence and a palace for future visits of Leopold II
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
.
In 1886, at the beginning of their colonial rule, the Belgians changed the city's name to "Coquilhatville".
During the colonial time in 1938 works started on a bridge over the Congo River connecting Mbandaka with the French Congo. Work was abandoned at the outbreak of WWII and today only the foundations of the bridge pillars remain. In the 1930s several other projects were started by the Belgian colonial administration, including several factories and a new city hall. The city hall was completed only after the war in 1947 and was at that time, with a height of 39 meters, the tallest building in the Belgian Congo. On top of the city hall was a statue of Leopold II
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
. The city hall was destroyed by a fire in 1963.
In 1966 the name was changed once again, this time by the new independent government, to "Mbandaka" to honor a prominent local leader.
Hundreds of people (mainly Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
refugees, women and children) in the city were massacred on May 13, 1997 near the end of the First Congo Civil War
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...
.
Catholic Mission station and Central African history research centre of Bamanya
A large research center for Central African history, originally set up by Fathers Gustaaf Hulstaert (1900-1990) and Honoré Vinck, is at the Catholic Mission station of Bamanya (Brothers of the Sacred Heart), 10 kilometres east of Mbandaka .Botanic Garden of Eala
One of the finest botanical gardens representing central Africa is at nearby Eala, about 7 kms east of the town centre. The Botanic Garden of Eala (founded in 1900) contains the floral richness of Central Africa with between 4,000 and 5,000 species. It covers approximately 370 hectares with special collections (125 ha), forest (190 ha), marsh (50 ha) and savanna "Euobe" (7 ha). The garden is neglected and unfenced and there is illegal logging. The last catalogue was published in 1924.First Habitat for Humanity International housing project
Mbandaka is the home of the world's first project of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity's founder Millard FullerMillard Fuller
Millard Dean Fuller was the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need, and the founder and former president of The Fuller Center for Housing...
served as missionary with the Disciples of Christ Church in Mbandaka from 1973-76. The housing project Fuller started in Mbandaka in 1973 became the original project of Habitat for Humanity when Fuller founded Habitat upon his return to the United States.
Climate
Mbandaka features a tropical rainforest climateTropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
under Koppen's climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The city does feature wetter and drier months, with the driest month, January averaging around 80 mm of precipitation per year. However the city does not have a dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, all months average above 60 mm of precipitation in a year. Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average temperatures ranging from 23-26 degrees Celsius during the course of the year.