Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mbandaka is a regional capital of 455,011 people in Équateur, Democratic Republic of the Congo, founded in 1883.
Why visit Mbandaka
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 19 places to eat and 27 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Jardin botanique d'Eala.
Weather in Mbandaka
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Mbandaka
Mbandaka (pronounced [mbaˈnda.ka], formerly known as Coquilhatville in French, or Coquilhatstad in Dutch) is a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki rivers. It is the capital of Équateur Province.
From the Wikipedia article Mbandaka (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Mbandaka on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Museums and landmarks5
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes19
7 more on the map.
Where to stay27
Mosika
Motel and hotel · 2.0 km
Chez Mosika, des chambres d'hôtes disponibles si passage à Mbandaka
15 more on the map.
History
Mbandaka was founded in 1883 by British explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who named it "Équateurville". (At the time the territory was under the personal rule of King Leopold II, king of the Belgians and the official language was French.)
The town hall is about 4 km (2.5 miles) north of the equator. Mbandaka is one of the closest to the equator of any substantial city in the world. Stanley placed a large "Equator Stone" near the riverbank south of the city to mark the point where he believed the equator crossed 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 Coquilhatville, as the city was then called, but they never came off the drawing board. These plans included infrastructure for an estimated population of 100,000 people, a train station, a Catholic cathedral, a governor's residence, and a palace for future visits of King Leopold II of the Belgians.
In 1886, at the beginning of colonial rule, the Belgians changed the city's name to "Coquilhatville" naming it after Camille-Aimé Coquilhat.
From the History section of Mbandaka on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship135
53ème communauté évangélique Tabernacle de la bonne nouvelle
Church · Evangelical · 2.5 km
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries214
Healthcare29
Centre médico chirurgical Les missionnaires
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.2 km
86 Avenue Bomboma, Mbandaka
Map of Mbandaka
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mbandaka Airport (MDK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 km away.
- Bolenge 7 km southwest, about 7 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mbandaka koloniale architectuur Banque du Congo belge, PClement, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JardBotEala, photos Marcel Laurent & A. Georgery, Public domain
- ISS030-E-46935 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
Page built November 8, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.