The Districts of the Congo Free State were the primary administrative divisions of the Congo Free State, the private colony of King Leopold II of Belgium from 1885 to 1908. There were various boundary changes in the period before the Congo Free State was annexed by Belgium to become the Belgian Congo.
A decree of 3 September 1886 by the administrator general Camille Janssen defined nine districts in the colony, each headed by a district commissioner: [1]
Article 3 of the decree of 16 April 1887 provided for the Congo Free State to be divided into administrative districts headed by district commissioners, assisted by one or more deputies. The decree of 1 August 1888 divided the Congo Free State into eleven districts, of which the first five were in the lower Congo region: [2]
Lualaba District had been formed from the southern part of Stanley Falls District. [3] A 12th district was created, Kwango Central, on 10 June 1890. [2] By 1890 there was a governor general resident in Boma and commissioners in these 12 districts. [4]
In 1895 the number of the districts was increased to fifteen. Aruwimi-Uele was split into two districts: Uele (Niangara) and Aruwimi (Basoko). Uele was threatened by the Arabs, and was placed under special administration. The districts were: [2]
An 1897 map of the Congo Free State showed it divided into the districts of Banana, Boma, Matadi and Cataractes along the lower Congo River, then the district of Stanley Pool along the east bank of the river to the north. The district of Kwango Orientale was to the southeast of Stanley Pool District, south of a narrow extension along the Kasai River of the Lualaba Kassai District, which covered the Kasai and Sankuru river basins. The Lac Léopold II District was north of the Kasai River and south of Équateur District to the east of the Congo River. North of Équateur the Bangalas District stretched along the northwestern section of the Congo River, and the Ubangi District defined the northeastern border of the colony with the French colonies, which lay across the Ubangi River. [5]
Further east the Uellé District covered the basin of the Uele River, the main tributary of the Ubangi, and extended along the north of the colony to the Lado Enclave on the Nile, leased from Britain. The Aruwimi District lay to the south of Uellé District along the Aruwimi River, formed where the Ituri River flowing west from the Lake Albert region meets the Nepoko River. The Aruwimi District had a long extension to the south of the Congo River along the west bank of the Lomami River. The remainder of the colony was covered by the huge Stanley Falls District, stretching south along the Congo into Katanga, bordered by the British and German possessions to the east of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Albert. [5]
The 1897 map does not show the Lualaba District formed from the southern part of Stanley Falls District. It shows the Lualaba Kassai District well to the west of the Lualaba River. [5]
On 15 July 1898 the Stanley Falls District officially became the Orientale Province, with Stanleyville as its headquarters. [6] A 1907 report listed 14 districts, with Lualaba and Kasai combined in one district as in the 1897 map. [7] The Free State was annexed by Belgium in 1908 as the Belgian Congo. [8] At the time of annexation there were 15 districts in the Congo Free State: [3]
Lualaba District was a district of the pre-2015 Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The district dates back to the days of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. The original Lualaba District was merged into Katanga in 1910, but in 1933 a new Lualaba District was formed within Katanga. After various significant boundary changes, in 2015 the district became the western part of the present Lualaba Province.
Équateur District was a former district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1914 it became part of former Équateur Province. The district went through various changes of extent and name over the years. The original district roughly corresponds to the current provinces of Équateur and Tshuapa.
Cataractes District is a district located in the Kongo Central province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It dates back to the days of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo.
Kasai District was a district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, named after the Kasai River. It was formed around 1885 and went through several large changes in extent in the years that followed. The 1933 version of the district roughly corresponded to the former Kasai-Occidental province and the present Kasaï and Kasaï-Central provinces.
Kwango District was a district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various changes in extent. It roughly corresponded to the present provinces of Kwilu and Kwango.
Alphonse van Gèle, also written van Gele or Vangele, was a Belgian soldier who served as the Vice-Governor General of the Congo Free State from December 1897 until January 1899. He established the Equator Station, or Station de l’Équateur, today Mbandaka, and concluded a treaty with the powerful Zanzibar trader Tippu Tip at the Stanley Falls station, today Kisangani. He is known for having confirmed that the Uele River was the upper part of the Ubangi River.
The Districts of the Belgian Congo were the primary administrative divisions when Belgium annexed the Congo Free State in 1908, each administered by a district commissioner. In 1914 they were distributed among four large provinces, with some boundary changes. In 1933 the provinces were restructured into six, again with boundary changes. The number of districts fluctuated between 12 and 26 through splits and consolidations, first rising, then falling, then rising again.
Lac Léopold II District was a district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various changes in extent, but roughly corresponded to the modern Mai-Ndombe Province.
Aruwimi District was a district of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo. It went through various changes in extent before being absorbed into other districts.
Stanleyville District was a district of the Belgian Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various changes in extent. Between 1933 and 1963 it had roughly the same extent as the current Tshopo province.
Uele District was a district of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It roughly corresponded to the current provinces of Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé.
Ubangi District was a district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various significant changes in extent.
Bangala District was a district of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It went through various significant changes in extent. The eastern part very roughly corresponded to the present province of Mongala.
Bas-Congo was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various significant changes in extent. It roughly corresponds to the present province of Kongo Central.
Stanley Falls District was a district of the Congo Free State. It covered most of the eastern part of the colony along the Congo River south from Stanleyville.
Stanley Pool District, later named Moyen-Congo District was a district of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo. It disappeared in a reorganization of 1914.
The Ubangi-Uélé District was a district of the Congo Free State between 1888 and 1895. It was later split into the Ubangi District to the north and Bangala District to the south.
Banana District was a district of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo. It disappeared in a reorganization of 1910.
Léon Roget was a Belgian soldier and colonial administrator who was active in the Congo Free State. He was the first commander of the Force Publique, the armed force used to police the colony.
Ernest Baert was a Belgian soldier, explorer and colonial administrator who was active in the Congo Free State.