Aketi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Living costs in this remote Congolese transport hub are deceptively high, despite its economic decline since the railway's closure. Aketi, once known as Port-Chaltin, sits on the Itimbiri River with a current population of 61,437 - though infrastructure hasn't kept pace with this growth.

The town's history is marked by violence during the Congo Crisis of the 1960s, when armed groups targeted Westerners and clergy, resulting in at least one American missionary death and numerous attacks on Belgian priests and nuns. The town's economic backbone was its railway terminus status on the Vicicongo line, connecting it to major regional centers. However, the 1975 extension to Bumba devastated its role as a transshipment point, and the final train departed in 2003, leaving the local economy struggling. While Aketi Airport provides some connectivity, the town's former strategic importance as a river-rail junction has largely evaporated.