Between 1933 and 1963 it had roughly the same extent as the current Tshopo province.

An 1897 map of the Congo Free State showed the huge Stanley Falls District where the later Stanleyville and Katanga districts would be created.

It covers the region of the Congo River basin upstream from Stanleyville down to the northern border of Katanga, as well as most of the course of the Aruwimi River.

[5] The area was 199,600 square kilometres (77,100 sq mi) out of a total of 503,200 square kilometres (194,300 sq mi) for Orientale province as a whole.

[4] Tshopo roughly corresponds to Haut-Congo Province and to Stanleyville District as it was between 1933 and 1963.