Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Capital City

This sprawling city of nearly 2.9 million people is hardly the glittering diamond hub it appears. Despite sitting on one of the world's largest diamond deposits, Mbuji-Mayi remains a remote, poorly-connected outpost with crumbling infrastructure and a history of corruption. Electricity is spotty, the university is rundown, and the roads are largely unpaved - outside of the areas controlled by the powerful mining company MIBA. Even the diamond industry has a dark side, with illegal miners frequently shot or detained in squalid conditions. For the average person, Mbuji-Mayi is a bureaucratic headache, offering little beyond the lure of the diamond trade. This city is best suited for those with a high tolerance for chaos and a strong stomach for the realities of life in the Democratic Republic of Congo.