Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Provinces de la République démocratique du Congo (French)
Category Unitary State
Location Democratic Republic of the Congo
Number 26 provinces (1 is a city-province)
Populations 1,093,845 (Bas-Uele) – 8,981,552 (Kinshasa)
Areas 9,481 km2 (3,661 sq mi) (Kasaï-Oriental) – 199,567 km2 (77,053 sq mi) (Tshopo)
Government Provincial government
Subdivisions Territory
Democratic Republic of the Congo
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There are currently 26 provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital Kinshasa is a city-province.[1][2]

Map Province Capital Area in
km2 (sq mi)		 Population* Previous province Time zone
1 Kinshasa Kinshasa 9,965 (3,848) 8,981,552 Kinshasa UTC+1
2 Kongo-Central Matadi 53,929 (20,822) 3,734,594 Bas-Congo UTC+1
3 Kwango Kenge 89,974 (34,739) 1,994,036 Bandundu UTC+1
4 Kwilu Kikwit 78,219 (30,201) 5,174,718 Bandundu UTC+1
5 Mai-Ndombe Inongo 127,465 (49,215) 1,768,327 Bandundu UTC+1
6 Kasaï Luebo 95,631 (36,923) 3,199,891 Kasaï-Occidental UTC+2
7 Kasaï-Central Kananga 59,111 (22,823) 2,976,806 Kasaï-Occidental UTC+2
8 Kasaï-Oriental Mbuji-Mayi 9,481 (3,661) 2,702,430 Kasaï-Oriental UTC+2
9 Lomami Kabinda 56,010 (21,630) 2,048,839 Kasaï-Oriental UTC+2
10 Sankuru Lusambo 105,000 (41,000) 1,374,239 Kasaï-Oriental UTC+2
11 Maniema Kindu 132,520 (51,170) 1,908,770 Maniema UTC+2
12 South Kivu Bukavu 65,070 (25,120) 5,050,348 South Kivu UTC+2
13 North Kivu Goma 59,483 (22,967) 7,460,642 North Kivu UTC+2
14 Ituri Bunia 65,658 (25,351) 4,241,236 Orientale UTC+2
15 Haut-Uele Isiro 89,683 (34,627) 1,920,867 Orientale UTC+2
16 Tshopo Kisangani 199,567 (77,053) 2,614,630 Orientale UTC+2
17 Bas-Uele Buta 148,331 (57,271) 1,093,845 Orientale UTC+2
18 Nord-Ubangi Gbadolite 56,644 (21,870) 1,482,076 Équateur UTC+1
19 Mongala Lisala 58,141 (22,448) 1,793,564 Équateur UTC+1
20 Sud-Ubangi Gemena 51,648 (19,941) 2,744,345 Équateur UTC+1
21 Équateur Mbandaka 103,902 (40,117) 1,626,606 Équateur UTC+1
22 Tshuapa Boende 132,940 (51,330) 1,316,855 Équateur UTC+1
23 Tanganyika Kalemie 134,940 (52,100) 2,482,001 Katanga UTC+2
24 Haut-Lomami Kamina 108,204 (41,778) 2,540,127 Katanga UTC+2
25 Lualaba Kolwezi 121,308 (46,837) 1,677,288 Katanga UTC+2
26 Haut-Katanga Lubumbashi 132,425 (51,130) 3,960,945 Katanga UTC+2

* Population estimates are based on the number of registered voters in 2005, assuming that they represent 33% of the total population in each province.

History

Districts of the Belgian Congo in 1914
Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1997-2015
1. Bandundu
2. Bas-Congo
3. Équateur
4. Kasaï-Occidental		 5. Kasaï-Oriental
6. Katanga
7. Kinshasa
8. Maniema		 9. Nord-Kivu
10. Orientale
11. Sud-Kivu

The Belgian Congo was annexed as a colony of Belgium in 1908, and it was initially organized into 22 districts. Ten western districts were administered directly under the main colonial government, while the eastern part of the colony was administered under two vice-governments: eight northeastern districts formed Orientale Province, and four southeastern districts formed Katanga. In 1919, the colony was organized into four provinces: Congo-Kasaï (five southwestern districts), Équateur (five northwestern districts), Orientale and Katanga (previous vice-governments).[1]

In 1932, the colony was reorganized into six provinces. Initially they were named after their capital cities, but in 1947 regional names were adopted.[1]

The Belgian Congo became an independent country in 1960, named Republic of the Congo. By 1963, the country was organized into 21 provinces (informally called provincettes) and the capital city of Léopoldville, similar to the original 22 districts under colonial rule. In 1966, the 21 provincettes were grouped into eight provinces, and the capital city was renamed Kinshasa.[1]

In 1971, the country was renamed Zaire, and three provinces were also renamed. In 1975, the capital city of Kinshasa obtained the status of a province. In 1988, the province of Kivu was split into three. In 1997, the country was renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the three provinces that had been renamed in 1971 were given their previous or new names.[1]

The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adopted in 2006, specifies a territorial organization into 26 provinces,[3] again resembling the previous provincettes and original colonial districts. The reorganization was scheduled to take effect within three years of the new constitution's promulgation, but it only occurred in 2015.[4][5]

Approximate correspondence between historical and current provinces
Belgian Congo Republic of the Congo Zaire Democratic Republic of the Congo
1908 1919 1932 1947 1963 1966 1971 1988 1997 2015
22 districts 4 provinces 6 provinces 6 provinces 21 provinces + capital 8 provinces + capital 8 provinces + capital 11 provinces 11 provinces 26 provinces
Tanganika-Moero Katanga Élisabethville Katanga Nord-Katanga Katanga Shaba Katanga Tanganyika
Haut-Lomami
Lulua Lualaba Lualaba
Haut-Luapula Katanga-Oriental Haut-Katanga
Lomami Lusambo Kasaï Lomami Kasaï-Oriental Lomami
Sankuru Congo-Kasaï Sankuru Sankuru
Kasaï Sud-Kasaï Kasaï-Oriental
Luluabourg Kasaï-Occidental Kasaï-Central
Unité-Kasaïenne Kasaï
Moyen-Congo Léopoldville Léopoldville Kinshasa
Bas-Congo Congo-Central Bas-Zaïre Bas-Congo Kongo-Central
Kwango Kwango Bandundu Kwango
Kwilu Kwilu
Lac Léopold II Équateur Mai-Ndombe Mai-Ndombe
Équateur Coquilhatville Équateur Cuvette-Centrale Équateur Équateur
Tshuapa
Lulonga Moyen-Congo Mongala
Bangala
Ubangi Ubangi Nord-Ubangi
Sud-Ubangi
Bas-Uele Orientale Stanleyville Orientale Uele Orientale Haut-Zaïre Orientale Bas-Uele
Haut-Uele Haut-Uele
Ituri Kibali-Ituri Ituri
Stanleyville Haut-Congo Tshopo
Aruwimi
Maniema Costermansville Kivu Maniema Kivu Maniema
Lowa
Kivu Nord-Kivu Nord-Kivu
Kivu-Central Sud-Kivu

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Statoids, accessed 1 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Nouvelles entités provinciales, Joseph M. Kyalangilwa, 22 January 2007.
  3. ↑ Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, article 2, Wikisource. (French)
  4. ↑ The National Assembly adopts the laws regarding the limits of the provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 10 January 2015. (French)
  5. ↑ Election of governors: definite results expected on 18 April, Radio Okapi, 27 March 2016. (French)


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