Moxico Province

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Moxico
Moxico in Angola (2024).svg
Moxico, province of Angola
Country Flag of Angola.svg Angola
Capital Luena
Government
  GovernorErnesto Muangala
  Vice-Governor for the Political, Social and Economic SectorElizabeth Mafo Sapato Ayala
  Vice-Governor for Technical Services and InfrastructureWilson Agnelo Chinhama Augusto
Area
  Total
149,882 km2 (57,870 sq mi)
Area code 254
ISO 3166 code AO-MOX
Website www.moxico.gov.ao

Moxico (Portuguese spelling) is a province of Angola.

Contents

It used to have an area of 223,023 square kilometres (86,110 sq mi), which corresponded to 18% of the landmass of Angola. [1] The province has a population of 758,568 according to the 2014 census, and a population density of approximately 3.4 residents per km2 (8.8/sq mi), making it one of the most sparsely populated areas of Angola. [2] The eastern most part of the province has since become its own province, Moxico Leste.

Luena is the capital of the Moxico Province, and is located 1,314 kilometres (816 mi) from the Angolan capital of Luanda. [3]

History

Moxico Province was the scene of much guerrilla fighting during the Angolan Civil War. Its long border with Zambia at the east of the province was a base of operations for UNITA and MPLA. As a result, Moxico Province saw many raids by the military of South Africa. [4]

Moxico Province is known as the place where UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi was killed in 2002, signalling an end to over a quarter-century civil war in Angola. Savimbi's body was buried in the village of Lucusse, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) south-east of the capital, Luanda, under a tree near where he was killed. [5]

Geography

Moxico Province borders Lunda Sul Province to the north, Bié Province to the west, Cuando Cubango Province to the south, the nation of Zambia to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the northeast.

Municipalities

The province of Moxico contains nine municipalities (Portuguese : municípios):

Church in Luena, Moxico Province Igreja Sacalumbo Nossa Senhora das Vitorias do Luena Frontal 09-Novembro-2011 1600x1200 05-27pm 374KB.jpg
Church in Luena, Moxico Province

Communes

The province of Moxico contains the following communes (Portuguese : comunas); sorted by their respective municipalities:

Demographics

Moxico Province is composed of a diversity of ethnic groups, and is primarily a Bantu area. Populations of Chokwe, Lovale, Mbunda, Lucazi, and Ovimbundu make up the majority of the province. Isolated communities of other ethnic groups exist throughout Moxico. [3]

Chokwe language is the most commonly spoken language in the province. [1]

List of governors

NameYears in office
Armando Fernando Ndembo1976–1979
Maj. Marques Monakapui Bassovava1979–1981
Celestino Figueiredo Tchinhama Faísca1981–1983
Maj. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço *1983–1986
Jaime Baptista Ndonge1986–1992
João Ernesto dos Santos Liberdade1992–2017
Gonçalves Manuel Muandumba2017–present

[6]

Up to 1991, the official name was Provincial Commissioner.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Moxico" (in Portuguese). Luanda, Angola: Info-Angola. 2014. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  2. "Resultados Definitivos Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação - 2014" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estatística, República de Angola. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Perfil da Província" (in Portuguese). Lueno, Angola?: Portal do Governo Provincial do Moxico. 2011. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  4. Broadhead, Susan (1992). Historical dictionary of Angola. Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press. p. 140. ISBN   9780810825321.
  5. Savimbi 'died with gun in hand, BBC News
  6. "Histórico dos Governadores" (in Portuguese). moxico.gov.ao. Retrieved 6 Mar 2019.

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