section_path: Description
section_name: Description
paragraph_text: Description
  
  Mbandaka is the capital of Équateur province, and located only a few kilometers from the equator. It is home to Mbandaka airport and is linked by a four to seven day trip by river barge journey to Kinshasa and Boende. Kinshasa is an hour's plane ride away.
  
  Mbandaka is largely populated by people of the Mongo ethnic group, although people from many different tribes and regions live in the city. The main languages spoken in Mbandaka are Lingala, French, and Mongo.
  
  Years of war and neglect have caused deterioration of the city infrastructure; large areas of the city are without electricity or running water. Most of the streets and avenues of the city are unpaved dirt roads.