| Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Provinces de la République démocratique du Congo (French) | |
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| Category | 1st-leveladministrative division of aunitary state |
| Location | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Number | 26 provinces (1 is a city-province) |
| Populations | 1,411,000 (Bas-Uele) – 18,000,000 (Kinshasa) |
| Areas | 9,545 km2 (3,685 sq mi) (Kasaï-Oriental) – 199,567 km2 (77,053 sq mi) (Tshopo) |
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Judiciary
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| United Nations Mission |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo portal |
Article 2 of the Constitution of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo divides the country into the capital city ofKinshasa and 25 named provinces. It also gives the capital the status of a province.[1] Therefore, in many contexts Kinshasa is regarded as the 26th province.
| Map | Province | ISO 3166-2 Code | Capital | Area in km2 (sq mi)[2] | Population (2019)[2] | Population density (per km2in 2019) | Previous province | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinshasa | KN | – | 9,965 (3,848) | 13,916,000 | 1,396.5 | Kinshasa | UTC+1 |
| 2 | Kongo Central | BC | Matadi | 53,920 (20,820) | 6,365,000 | 118 | Bas-Congo | UTC+1 |
| 3 | Kwango | KG | Kenge | 89,974 (34,739) | 2,416,000 | 26.9 | Bandundu | UTC+1 |
| 4 | Kwilu | KL | Bandundu | 78,533 (30,322) | 6,169,000 | 78.6 | Bandundu | UTC+1 |
| 5 | Mai-Ndombe | MN | Inongo | 127,243 (49,129) | 2,082,000 | 16.4 | Bandundu | UTC+1 |
| 6 | Kasaï | KS | Tshikapa | 95,631 (36,923) | 3,165,000 | 33.1 | Kasaï-Occidental | UTC+2 |
| 7 | Kasaï-Central | KC | Kananga | 59,500 (23,000) | 3,743,000 | 62.9 | Kasaï-Occidental | UTC+2 |
| 8 | Kasaï-Oriental | KE | Mbuji-Mayi | 9,545 (3,685) | 3,601,000 | 377.3 | Kasaï-Oriental | UTC+2 |
| 9 | Lomami | LO | Kabinda | 56,426 (21,786) | 2,801,000 | 49.6 | Kasaï-Oriental | UTC+2 |
| 10 | Sankuru | SA | Lusambo | 104,331 (40,282) | 2,417,000 | 23.2 | Kasaï-Oriental | UTC+2 |
| 11 | Maniema | MA | Kindu | 132,250 (51,060) | 2,654,000 | 20.1 | Maniema | UTC+2 |
| 12 | South Kivu | SK | Bukavu | 64,791 (25,016) | 6,565,000 | 101.3 | South Kivu | UTC+2 |
| 13 | North Kivu | NK | Goma | 59,483 (22,967) | 7,574,000 | 127.3 | North Kivu | UTC+2 |
| 14 | Ituri | IT | Bunia | 65,658 (25,351) | 4,008,000 | 61 | Orientale | UTC+2 |
| 15 | Haut-Uele | HU | Isiro | 89,683 (34,627) | 2,046,000 | 22.8 | Orientale | UTC+2 |
| 16 | Tshopo | TO | Kisangani | 199,567 (77,053) | 2,582,000 | 12.9 | Orientale | UTC+2 |
| 17 | Bas-Uele | BU | Buta | 148,331 (57,271) | 1,250,000 | 8.4 | Orientale | UTC+2 |
| 18 | Nord-Ubangi | NU | Gbadolite | 56,644 (21,870) | 1,425,000 | 25.1 | Équateur | UTC+1 |
| 19 | Mongala | MO | Lisala | 58,141 (22,448) | 1,950,000 | 33.5 | Équateur | UTC+1 |
| 20 | Sud-Ubangi | SU | Gemena | 51,648 (19,941) | 2,755,000 | 53.3 | Équateur | UTC+1 |
| 21 | Équateur | EQ | Mbandaka | 103,902 (40,117) | 1,712,000 | 16.5 | Équateur | UTC+1 |
| 22 | Tshuapa | TU | Boende | 132,957 (51,335) | 1,789,000 | 13.5 | Équateur | UTC+1 |
| 23 | Tanganyika | TA | Kalemie | 134,940 (52,100) | 3,570,000 | 24.5 | Katanga | UTC+2 |
| 24 | Haut-Lomami | HL | Kamina | 108,204 (41,778) | 3,444,000 | 31.8 | Katanga | UTC+2 |
| 25 | Lualaba | LU | Kolwezi | 121,308 (46,837) | 2,993,000 | 24.7 | Katanga | UTC+2 |
| 26 | Haut-Katanga | HK | Lubumbashi | 132,425 (51,130) | 5,378,000 | 40.6 | Katanga | UTC+2 |
When Belgium annexed theBelgian Congo as a colony in November 1908, it was initially organised into 22 districts. Ten western districts were administered directly by 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 organised into four provinces:
In 1932, the colony was reorganised into six provinces. Initially they were named after their capital cities, but in 1947 regional names were adopted.[3]
The Belgian Congo became an independent country in 1960, namedRepublic of the Congo. Under the first constitution, theLoi Fondamentale, six provinces were provided for: Equateur, Kasai, Katanga, Kivu, Leopoldville, and Orientale.[4] The provinces were organized with their own elected assemblies and parliamentary governments responsible to them.[5] Provincial authorities had the power to organise the "political structures of the province within the framework of the general principles contained in theLoi Fondamentale", manage provincial police and judicial officials, establish educational systems lower than higher education, tend to agricultural and mining concessions, construct and maintain local railways, roads, and public works, and manage their own finances,[6] though their funding was heavily subsidized by the central government.[7] Social legislation and national minimum wages were to beconcurrent powers shared with central authorities. All other duties and responsibilities rested with the central government.[6] As central authority collapsed due to the outbreak of theCongo Crisis following an army mutiny in July, provincial governments were able to leverage the situation to increase their political autonomy.[8]
The disintegration of central authority led to numerous political discussions aimed at reconciliation and territorial reorganization marked by various political leaders arguing for the creation of new provinces from which many of them sought to personally benefit.[9] In August 1962, 16 additional provinces were promulgated.[10] By 1963, the country was organised into 21 provinces (informally calledprovincettes) plus the capital city of Léopoldville, similar to the original 22 districts under colonial rule.[3] This framework was confirmed in theLuluabourg Constitution, promulgated in 1964.[11]
Following a coup on 24 November 1965, ColonelJoseph Mobutu became president of the country and the constitution was suspended.[12] Measures were instituted to reduce provincial autonomy and increase political centralisation.[13] On 6 April 1966, a presidential decree reduced the number of provinces to 12.[14] On 24 December, Mobutu declared that the number of provinces would be further reduced to eight.[15] Under the constitution of 27 June 1976, provincial assemblies and ministers were eliminated in favor of appointed governors and advisory bodies. The constitution also left the organisation of provinces to be determined by law.[15][16]
In 1971, the country was renamedZaire, 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 renamedDemocratic Republic of the Congo, and the three provinces that had been renamed in 1971 either retook their previous name or took another.[3]
Article 2 of theConstitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adopted in 2006, specifies a territorial organisation into 26 provinces,[17] again resembling the previousprovincettes and original colonial districts. The reorganisation was scheduled to take effect within three years of the new constitution's promulgation, however progress was slow.[18]In October 2007 the Minister for Decentralisation,Denis Kalume Numbi, presented a bill for decentralisation in theNational Assembly. The subsequent debate turned up a variety of issues that first had to be addressed with changes to related laws.[19]In an October 2010 conclave of the rulingAMP coalition, it was proposed to revise Article 226, which calls for the creation of 26 provinces out of the current 11, in order to allow more time for the transition.[20] On 9 January 2015 the National Assembly passed a law on the new administrative divisions of the country, according to which new provinces should be installed in period of 12 months.[21][22]
| Belgian Congo | First Republic | Second Republic (Zaire) | Third Republic | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 regions + capital | 11 regions | 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 | ||||||||