The District of Équateur was created by decree of Leopold II on 1 August 1888, which defined the limits of the Congo Free State and the eleven districts, including Équateur.The first district commissioners were named on 27 October 1888.[2]At first there was no commissioner for Equateur, but on 25 June 1889 the governor general placed Van Kerchhoven, successor toCamille Coquilhat, in command of the District of Ubangi and Uele based at Nouvelle-Anvers (formerlyBangala Station).The first true head of Équateur was Charles-François-Alexandre Lemaire (1863-1925), appointed in December 1890.He moved the district capital to the newly namedCoquilhatville.[3]
In 1908 the state of Belgium annexed the Congo Free State as the Belgian Congo.In 1917 Équateur District became Équateur Province underGeorges Moulaert (1875-1958), who became deputy governor general of the province on 20 August 1917.[4]In 1933 the province was renamed Coquihatville Province, under a provincial commissioner.The first commissioner wasJ. Jorrissen.[5]On 27 May 1947 the province regained the name of Équateur/Evenaar. It became an autonomous province of the Congo republic on 30 June 1960.On 14 August 1962 Équateur was split into the provinces ofCuvette Centrale,Ubangi, and a centrally administered portion that becameMoyen-Congo on 5 February 1963.
On 25 April 1966 Cuvette Centrale, Moyen-Congo and Ubangi were reunited as Équateur province.In 2015 when it was again split under the terms of the2006 Constitution, it formed five new provinces:[6]
Nord-Ubangi, consisting of 56.644 km2 (21.870 sq mi), with its capital at the city ofGbadolite
Mongala, consisting of 58.141 km2 (22.448 sq mi), with its capital at the city ofLisala
Sud-Ubangi, consisting of 51.648 km2 (19.941 sq mi), with its capital at the city ofGemena
Équateur, consisting of 103.902 km2 (40.117 sq mi), with its capital at the city ofMbandaka
Tshuapa, consisting of 132.957 km2 (51.335 sq mi), with its capital at the city ofBoende
Konda ku Mbuta, A. et al. (2012);Plantes medicinales de traditions - Province de l'Equateur, R.D. Congo; I.R.S.S. Kinshasa;ISBN978-0-9554208-5-6; 419 pp.
