# Huíla Province

Huíla is a province of Angola. It has an area of 79,023 square kilometres (30,511 sq mi) and a population of 2,497,422 (2014 census). Lubango is the capital of the province. Basket-making is a significant industry in the province; many make baskets out of reeds.

## History

From the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1975) to Angola's independence, and the subsequent civil war in Angola (1975-2002) Huíla was directly affected only during relatively short periods of time. Cassinga was abandoned by its European supervisors, and the mine fell into neglect during the ensuing Angolan Civil War. The following year it was occupied by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), military wing of the South West African People's Organization. PLAN subsequently adopted Cassinga as a staging point for insurgent raids on South-West Africa, about 250 kilometres to the south. Their bases soon became a sanctuary for local refugees during the Namibian War of Independence.
In 1978, PLAN's presence in Cassinga attracted the attention of the South African Defence Force. Operation Reindeer saw paratroops of the 44 Parachute Regiment supported by bomber and strike aircraft launch an air assault on 4 May. The six-hour assault claimed approximately 600 lives, including four SADF soldiers, sixty Cuban soldiers and over five hundred PLAN combatants and South West African exiles. Cassinga was the site of more fighting during Operation Askari, in December 1983.
The post-colonial development in Angola has seen the establishment of two universities in Lubango (the state Universidade Mandume, named after a leader of the Ovambo in the fight against the occupation by the Portuguese, as well as a campus of the Universidade Privada de Angola. Tourism is emerging, largely involving white entrepreneurs from Namibia, which the provincial government is actively seeking to attract.

## Geography

Huíla Province is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal longitude and latitude. The province is bordered on the west by the provinces of Namibe and Benguela, to the north by Bié and Cuando Cubango, and to the south by the province of Cunene. The winding road known as Leba Hill, as well as Bicauri National Park are in Huíla Province. Bicauri National Park was established in 1964 and covers an area of 790 km$^2$.

## Municipalities

The province of Huíla contains fourteen municipalities (Portuguese: municípios):
| Name of Town or City | Land Area | Estimated Population July 2018 | Population Density |
| Caconda | 4,715 square kilometres (1,820 sq mi) | 189,450 | 40.1 |
| Cacula | 3,449 square kilometres (1,332 sq mi) | 154,624 | 44.8 |
| Caluquembe | 3,075 square kilometres (1,187 sq mi) | 203,128 | 66.1 |
| Chibia | 5,180 square kilometres (2,000 sq mi) | 215,219 | 41.5 |
| Chicomba | 4,203 square kilometres (1,623 sq mi) | 148,795 | 35.4 |
| Chipindo | 3,898 square kilometres (1,505 sq mi) | 73,056 | 18.7 |
| Chiange (Gambos) | 8,150 square kilometres (3,150 sq mi) | 89,684 | 11.0 |
| Humpata | 1,261 square kilometres (487 sq mi) | 100,634 | 79.8 |
| Jamba | 11,110 square kilometres (4,290 sq mi) | 118,633 | 10.7 |
| Kuvango | 9,680 square kilometres (3,740 sq mi) | 88,670 | 9.2 |
| Lubango | 3,140 square kilometres (1,210 sq mi) | 876,339 | 279.1 |
| Matala | 9,065 square kilometres (3,500 sq mi) | 296,618 | 32.7 |
| Quilengues | 4,464 square kilometres (1,724 sq mi) | 85,040 | 19.1 |
| Quipungo | 7,633 square kilometres (2,947 sq mi) | 179,363 | 23.5 |

## Communes

The province of Huíla contains the following communes (Portuguese: comunas); sorted by their respective municipalities:
* Caconda Municipality: – Caconda, Cusse, Gungue (Gungui), Uaba (Waba)
* Cacula Municipality: – Cacula, Chicuaqueia (Tchiquaqueia), Chituto (Tchituto), Viti Vivali (Viti Vivale)
* Caluquembe Municipality: – Calépi (Kalépi), Caluquembe (Kalukembe), N'gola
* Chibia Municipality: – Capunda-Cavilongo, Chibia, Jau, Quihita
* Chicomba Municipality: – Chicomba, Cutenda (Kutenda); Libongue, Quê
* Chipindo Municipality: – Bambi, Chipindo; Bunjei
* Gambos Municipality: – Chiange, Chibemba (Chimbemba)
* Humpata Municipality: – Humpata; Bata-Bata, Caholo (Kaholo), Neves, Palanca
* Jamba Municipality: – Cassinga, Dongo, Jamba
* Kuvango Municipality: – Galangue, Kuvango (Cuvango), Vicungo
* Lubango Municipality: – Arimba, Hoque (Degola), Huíla, Lubango, Quilemba
* Matala Municipality: – Capelongo, Matala, Mulondo; Micosse
* Quilengues Municipality: – Dinde, Impulo, Quilengues
* Quipungo Municipality: – Quipungo; Cainda, Hombo (Ombo), Thicongo, Thicungo

## Sports

* Estádio de Militar Huíla, a multi-use stadium in Huila

## Demographics

As of 2013, the province had a population of 2,609,486 people. The original inhabitants of the area were Khoisan, but only a few residual groups remain today, ousted from pastoral land by other groups. In some areas they represent under 2% of the population. Most pastoral farmers in the province are known Nyaneka-Khumbi, but do not form a whole ethnic group. A significant ethnic group in the province is the Mwila, who originally inhabited the plateau areas.
Favored by the relatively mild climate, there was a relatively strong colonization by Portuguese immigrants who sometimes mixed with the local population. This led to expansion and diversification of agriculture at the same time, but also to a growth of cities and towns. However, the influx of IDPs in the thousands during the war severely affected the province. During the war, a considerable number of Ovimbundu fled to the highlands of the province of Huíla. In some areas they now represent some 37% of the population, with the largest concentration in the central highlands. There is now also a much smaller number of Bakongo who had been assimilated from the Congo, and some settled in the province upon their return. The Heroro represent about 0.5% of the population.

## List of governors of Huila

| Name | Years in office |
| Emílio Braz | 1975–1976 |
| Belarmino Sabugosa Van-Dúnem | 1976–1978 |
| Nazário Vital | 1978–1979 |
| Maj. Miguel João Luís Ivady | 1979–1981 |
| Mariano da Costa Garcia Puku | 1981–1983 |
| Rafael Sapilinha Sambalanga | 1983–1986 |
| Lopo Fortunato Ferreira do Nascimento | 1986–1990 |
| Dumilde das Chagas Simões Rangel | 1990–1995 |
| Kundi Paihama | 1995–1999 |
| Francisco José Ramos da Cruz | 1999–2008 |
| Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos | 2008–2012 |
| João Marcelino Tyipinge | 2012–2018 |
| Luís da Fonseca Nunes | 2018–2021 |
| Nuno Bernabé Mahapi Dala | 2021– |
Up to 1991, the official name was Provincial Commissioner