Mbandaka

Mbandaka ( until 1966 Coquilhatville ) is a city in the north of the equatorial African state Democratic Republic of Congo ( Zaire until 1998 ).

Geography

Mbandaka is one of the largest cities in the Republic and is the capital of Equateur province. Your latitude is 0.1 ° North ( just north of the equator), its length 18.3 ° East. It is located on the eastern ( left ) bank of the Congo River at 370 m above sea level near the mouth of the Ruki. Their population is about 185,000 (2005) and rose by one-third since 1984, which is significantly lower than the general population growth in the country.

History

Mbandaka was founded in 1883 by Henry Morton Stanley under the name Equateurville. Under Belgian rule a name change took place in Coquilhatville. In 1966, the town within the limits set to the factory of the former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko " Africanization " was renamed " Mbandaka ".

At the end of the First Congo War, the town on 13 May 1997, it was occupied by the rebels who fought against Mobutu.

Economy

The city lives mainly from fishing. The fish caught are sold in the larger surrounding cities and the capital Kinshasa.

Worth seeing, especially the botanical garden in the near, the northeast Eala.

Son of the city

The most famous son of the city 's Jose Bosingwa, a football player of Chelsea FC.

Personalities

  • José Bosingwa ( b. 1982 ), Portuguese footballer
  • Mpeko Issama (* 1986), national football team

Air table

  • Place in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Equateur
  • Place in Africa
History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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