Map of Équateur
Équateur is a first-level division of DR Congo. Its largest mapped city is Mbandaka, with about 274,996 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Équateur, and the tables list its 10 mapped cities along with the lakes nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 10
- Largest City
- Mbandaka
- Country
- DR Congo
Interactive Map of Équateur
About Équateur
Équateur is one of the 21 newest provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created by the 2015 repartitioning. The provinces of Équateur, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi, and Tshuapa are the result of the division of the former Équateur province. The current province was formed from the Équateur district and the independently administered city of Mbandaka which retained its status as a provincial capital.
The 2020 population was estimated to be 1,856,000.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Équateur Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Équateur in Depth
History
The province of Équateur created in 1917 was much larger than today. Over time it went through a number of border and name changes. Under Article 2 of the 2006 Constitution it was to assume its current boundaries, but administratively they were not finalized until 2015.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Équateur Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Équateur: Key Facts
| Population | 1,856,000 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 103,902 km² |
| Capital | Mbandaka |
| Established | 2015 |
Facts from Wikidata Q988104 (CC0).
History of Équateur: Empires and States
The atlas records 3 polities whose mapped territory included part of Équateur, from Belgian Congo in 1890 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Belgian Congo | 1890–1959 CE |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1960–2024 CE |
| Zaire | 1973–1995 CE |
Historical Maps of Équateur
Équateur on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Équateur
10 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mbandaka | 274,996 | Équateur | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Gemena | 198,056 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 3 | Bumba | 160,539 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 4 | Lisala | 70,087 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 5 | Gbadolite | 50,493 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 6 | Businga | 34,247 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 7 | Boende | 32,091 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 8 | Libenge | 27,053 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 9 | Bosobolo | 14,553 | Équateur | Populated place |
| 10 | Bongandanga | 4,105 | Équateur | Populated place |
Largest Lakes in Équateur
1 lake mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lac Tumba | 735 km² | Lake |
Équateur: Quick Answers
- Where is Équateur?
- Équateur is a first-level division of DR Congo, in Africa. Its mapped cities centre on 2.4402° N, 20.4300° E.
- What is the largest city in Équateur?
- Mbandaka is the largest city mapped in Équateur, with a metropolitan population of about 274,996.
- How many cities are in Équateur?
- YearMaps maps 10 cities and towns in Équateur, with a combined metropolitan population of about 866,220. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the largest lake in Équateur?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Équateur is Lac Tumba, at about 735 km².