Cuando | |
|---|---|
 Town hall of Cuito Cuanavale in 1998 | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 16°S20°E / 16°S 20°E | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Established | 5 September 2024 |
| Capital | Mavinga |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Lúcio Gonçalves Amaral (MPLA) |
| Population (May 2014) [1] | |
• Total | 98,419 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Cuando is a province of Angola. It was created on 5 September 2024 from the eastern part of Cuando Cubango Province. Its capital is Mavinga. [2]
Cuando borders the Angolan provinces of Cubango to the west and Moxico to the north. It also borders Zambia's Western Province to the east, and the Namibian regions of Zambezi and Kavango East to the southeast and south respectively. The province is drained by the Cubango and Cuando rivers. The Cubango forms part of the province's border with Namibia, and its tributary the Cuito River forms much of the province's border with Cubango Province. The Cuando River runs along or close to much of the province's borders with Moxico Province and Zambia.
Luengue-Luiana National Park and Mavinga National Park are located in the province. Both parks are components of the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the world's largest land-based transboundary protected area. [3] The northern part of the province belongs to the dry miombo woodlands ecoregion, while the south falls in the Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands ecoregion. [4]
Cuando's climate varies from tropical in the north to semi-arid in the south. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,200 mm (47 in) in the north to 600 mm (24 in) in the south. [5]
Since at least 2016, there have been proposals to divide Cuando Cubango, formerly Angola's second largest province by area, into two smaller provinces. [6] [7] On 14 August 2024, Angola's National Assembly approved a law to create three new provinces, including the division of Cuando Cubango into the provinces of Cuando and Cubango. This law went into effect with its publication in the official gazette of Angola on 5 September 2024. [8]
Cuando is divided into the nine municipalities of Cuito Cuanavale, Dima, Dirico, Luengue, Luiana, Mavinga, Mucusso, Rivungo and Xipundo. Cuito Cuanavale is further subdivided into the communes of Cuito Cuanavale and Lupire; Dima is subdivided into the communes of Cunjamba and Cutuile; and Dirico is subdivided into the communes of Dirico and Xamavera. [8]
The first governor of Cuando is Lúcio Gonçalves Amaral, who was appointed in December 2024. [9]
The former communes that now make up the territory of Cuando reported a combined population of 98,419 in the 2014 Angolan census. [1] A variety of languages are spoken in Cuando, with Nganguela being the most common. [10]
The main economic activity in Cuando is cattle, goat and sheep farming. [5] Roads in the province have been in poor condition since the end of the Angolan Civil War, and the lack of transportation infrastructure impedes the economic development of the province. [11]
Bié is a province of Angola located on the Bié Plateau in central part of country. Its capital is Kuito, which was called Silva Porto until independence from Portugal in 1975. The province has an area of 70,314 square kilometres (27,148 sq mi) and a population of 1,455,255 in 2014. The current governor of Bié is José Amaro Tati.
Cuando Cubango is a province of Angola and it has an area of 199,049km2 and a population of 534,002 in 2014. Menongue is the capital of the province. The governor of the province is José Martins, who was appointed governor in November 2021.
Moxico or Moshiko is the largest province of Angola. It has an area of 223,023 square kilometres (86,110 sq mi), and covers 18% of the landmass of Angola. The province has a population of 758,568 and a population density of approximately 3.4 residents per km2, making it one of the most sparsely populated areas of Angola. The population of the province is in flux; displaced residents have slowly returned to Moxico since the end of the Angolan Civil War in 2002. The war left Moxico as one of the most landmine-contaminated places in the world. The governor of the province is Gonçalves Manuel Muandumba.
Angola is divided into twenty-one provinces, known in Portuguese as províncias. On 14 August 2024, Angola's National Assembly approved a law to create three new provinces:
Operation Alpha Centauri was a South African military operation during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War to halt an offensive launched by the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) towards Angola's Cuando Cubango Province. Its objective was to prevent FAPLA forces from reaching Jamba, a strategic town which functioned as the de facto headquarters of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and its armed wing.
Cuito Cuanavale, occasionally spelt Kuito Kuanavale or Kwito Kwanavale, is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango (Kuando-Kubango) province in Angola.
Luengue-Luiana National Park is a national park in Angola.
Mavinga is a national park in Cuando Province in south-eastern Angola. It covers an area of 46,076 square kilometres (17,790 sq mi). The Park was proclaimed in 2011 along with the neighbouring Luengue-Luiana National Park, which measures 22,610 square kilometres (8,730 sq mi). The two parks are contiguous and managed as a single unit. The parks were created to conserve the areas’ high ecological and biological value. Mavinga forms the western border of Africa's largest conservation area, the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area.
Calai is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango Province in Angola.
Longa is a town and commune in the municipality of Cuito Cuanavale, province of Cuando Cubango, Angola. As of 2014, the commune had a population of 15,104 people over an area of 14,000 square kilometres (5,400 sq mi).
Mavinga is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango Province in Angola. It is one of the three municipalities in Angola whose inhabitants are predominantly Mbunda. The municipality had a population of 27,196 in 2014. It comprises the communes of Mavinga, Cunjamba/Dime, Cutuile and Luengue.
The Luengué Hunting Reserve is located in Luengué, Mavinga, Cuando Cubango, Angola. Established on July 15, 1959, it is 16,700 km2 (6,400 sq mi).
Luísa Baptista is an Angolan model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss Angola 2016 after qualifying as Miss Cuando Cubango; the first time someone from that region had won the Miss Angola title. She represented Angola at Miss Universe 2016.
Baixo Longa is a city and commune of Angola, located in the province of Cuando Cubango.
Lupire is a city and commune of Angola, located in the province of Cuando Cubango. As of 2014, the commune had a population of 1,600 people over an area of 6,050 square kilometres (2,340 sq mi)
Luengue is a city and commune of Angola, located in the province of Cuando Cubango. As of 2014, the city had a population of 3,457 people over an area of 18,900 square kilometres (7,300 sq mi).
Cazombo is a municipality with a population of 34,000 (2014), and the capital of Moxico Leste Province in Angola since the province's establishment in 2024. Previously it was the seat of the municipality of Alto Zambeze. Cazombo is on the east bank of the Zambezi River. It is subdivided into the communes of Cazombo and Lumbala Caquengue.
Moxico Leste is a province of Angola. It was created on 5 September 2024 from the eastern part of Moxico Province. Its capital is Cazombo.
Icolo e Bengo is a province of Angola. It was created on 5 September 2024 from Luanda Province. Its capital is Catete.
Cubango is a province of Angola. It was created on 5 September 2024 from the western part of Cuando Cubango Province. Its capital is Menongue.
