Orientale Province () is one of the former provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its predecessors the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It went through a series of boundary changes between 1898 and 2015, when it was divided into smaller units.
The District of Orientale Province was created from Stanley Falls District on 15 July 1898. The district was expanded to become Orientale Province in 1913. It was divided in 1933 into Costermansville (later Kivu) and Stanleyville Province. Stanleyville Province was renamed Orientale Province from 1947 to 1963, when it was broken up into Kibali-Ituri, Uélé and Haut-Congo provinces. Orientale Province was reconstituted in 1966. Between 1971 and 1997 it was called Haut-Zaïre, then it returned to the name of Orientale. The province contained the Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri and Tshopo districts. These were elevated to provinces in 2015 under the 2006 constitution.
The province lay in the northeast of the country. Originally it bordered Équateur to the west, Congo-Kasaï to the southwest and Katanga to the south. After being reduced in size, it bordered Équateur to the west, Kasaï-Oriental province to the southwest, Maniema to the south, and North Kivu to the southeast. It also bordered the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north, and Uganda to the east. The provincial capital was Stanleyville, later renamed Kisangani.
History
On 15 July 1898 the Stanley Falls District became the District of Orientale Province (District de la province Orientale), with Stanleyville as its headquarters. The Lualaba District in the south was split off at this time. The district was also called Stanleyville District. In 1910 the new vice-government general of Katanga was formed the south, with parts of Lualaba District and parts of Stanleyville.
Orientale/Oost Province was formed in 1913 in the Belgian Congo from the District of Orientale Province, expanded to include Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé and Aruwimi. The new province contained the districts of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, Stanleyville, Aruwimi, Maniema, Lowa and Kivu. It was divided in 1933 into Costermansville (later Kivu) and Stanleyville Province. Stanleyville Province was renamed Orientale/Oost Province from 1947 to 1963, when it was broken up into Kibali-Ituri, Uélé and Haut-Congo provinces. Orientale Province was reconstituted in 1966 from the amalgamation of the Uele, Kibali-Ituri and Haut-Congo provinces. In 2015 it was dissolved into the provinces of Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri and Tshopo.
In 1998 the Orientale villages of Durba and Watsa were the center of an outbreak of Marburg virus disease among gold mine workers.
The Ituri district of Orientale was the scene of the Ituri conflict.
As of 2014, militia groups continue to fight in the province and have reportedly committed many atrocities against the local population, such as forcing women into sex slavery and forcing men to work in mines.
Approximate correspondence between historical divisions and current provinces +Approximate correspondence between historical and current province Belgian Congo Republic of the Congo Zaire Democratic Republic of the Congo 19088 districts 19131 province 19321 province 19471 province 19633 provinces 19661 province 19711 province 19881 province 19971 province 20154 provincesBas-Uele OrientaleStanleyvilleOrientale UéléOrientaleHaut-ZaïreOrientaleBas-UéléHaut-UeleHaut-UéléIturiKibali-IturiIturiStanleyville Haut-Congo TshopoAruwimiManiema (Costermansville, Kivu and successors)LowaKivu
Divisions The province was divided into the city of Kisangani and the districts of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri and Tshopo. Cities and towns, with their 2010 populations, are: Name District Territory Pop. 2010 Coordinates Aketi Bas-Uele District Aketi Territory 40,507 Ango Bas-Uele District Ango Territory 8,381 Aru Ituri District Aru Territory 29,801 Bafwasende Tshopo District Bafwasende Territory 14,504 Bambesa Bas-Uele District Bambesa Territory 14,959 Basoko Tshopo District Basoko Territory 50,352 Bondo Bas-Uele District Bondo Territory 18,118 Bunia Ituri District Irumu Territory 327,837 Buta Bas-Uele District Buta Territory 53,401 Djugu Ituri District Djugu Territory 27,112 Dungu Haut-Uele District Dungu Territory 26,894 Irumu Ituri District Irumu Territory 10,387 Isiro Haut-Uele District Rungu Territory 174,551 Kisangani (city) (city) 868,672 Kituku Ituri District Irumu Territory 43,460 Mahagi Ituri District Mahagi Territory 18,743 Mongbwalu Ituri District Djugu Territory 29,672 Niangara Haut-Uele District Niangara Territory 13,504 Opala Tshopo District Opala Territory 15,569 Poko Bas-Uele District Poko Territory 10,873 Ubundu Tshopo District Ubundu Territory 13,332 Wamba Haut-Uele District Wamba Territory 17,651 Watsa Haut-Uele District Watsa Territory 31,978 Yahuma Tshopo District Yahuma Territory 4,857 Yangambi Tshopo District Isangi Territory 40,932
See also List of governors of Orientale Province Kisangani history and timeline
References
Bibliography
External links Site of the province (Gouverneur and province assembly), in French Bamanisajean.unblog.fr is Governor Jean Bamanisa's blog site. Stanleyville.be City of Kisangani Website. @Prov_orientale Twitter for Orentale Provincial Government Facebook Orentale Provincial Government CDC "Map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo indicating the neighboring villages of Durba and Watsa, the epicenter of the 1998 outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever." (1913-1960); +1960-2015