Équateur is one of 25 new provinces

Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

There are currently ten provinces and one city-province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:* An Ituri Interim Administration also exists in the Ituri region of Orientale province- Proposed provinces :...

 of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

 specified in the country's 2005 Constitution (effective 18 February 2006), under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces

ISO 3166-2:CD

ISO 3166-2:CD is the entry for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for the...

 within 36 months (18 February 2009), according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place.

Along with the provinces of Nord-Ubangi

Nord-Ubangi Province

Nord-Ubangi is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...

, Mongala

Mongala Province

Mongala is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...

, Sud-Ubangi

Sud-Ubangi Province

Sud-Ubangi is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...

 and Tshuapa

Tshuapa Province

Tshuapa is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place.The...

, it was to be formed from the pre-2006 province of Équateur

Équateur

Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...

.

The capital of Équateur province is the city of Mbandaka

Mbandaka

Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville or Coquilhatstad , 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...

.

History

The post-2006 Équateur province is itself a former province known as Cuvette-Centrale, having first separated from the former Équateur

Équateur

Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...

 region in 1962. Léon Engulu served as the only president (later, governor) of Cuvette-Centrale from 1962-1966, when the province was reincorporated into the recreated Équateur province by the Mobutu regime.

Territories

• Basankusu
  Basankusu
  Basankusu is a town in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Territory of Basankusu. It boasts an airport, covered and open markets, a hospital and two recently installed cellphone networks....
  
  
• Bikoro
  Bikoro
  Bikoro is a market town in Équateur Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on Lake Tumba, south of Mbandaka....
  
  
• Bolomba
• Bomongo
• Ingende
• Lukolela
  Lukolela
  Lukolela is a town in Équateur District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Congo River bank. It is opposite the Republic of Congo town of Loukolela. The Lukolela Swamp Rat is named after the town....
  
  
• Makanza