Cuando Cubango Province

Cuando Cubango Province
Cuando Cubango (Umbundu: Kwando Kubango Volupale) 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.
The name of the province derives from that of the Cuando and Cubango rivers, which flow through the eastern and western edges of the province, respectively.
History
Throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, Cuando Cubango served as the location for the primary base camp of Angola's UNITA rebel movement, led by Jonas Savimbi. The rebel movement received support from the United States as part of the Cold War conflict against Angola's Marxist government, which was supported by the Soviet Union, Cuba and other communist states.
Savimbi and UNITA maintained a large and clandestine base camp in the Cubando Cubango town of Jamba. The camp was protected by anti-aircraft weapons and included an air strip, which was used for the delivery of military and other supplies, which typically arrived from neighboring Zaire. The Angolan Civil War ultimately became one of the most prominent conflicts of the Cold War, with both the United States and the Soviet Union depicting its outcome as important to the global balance of power.
Geography
Cuando Cubango is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude. It is located in the extreme south-east of Angola. To the north and north-east it is bordered with Moxico Province, and in the west - the provinces of Huila and Cunene. In the south of Cuando Cubango it borders Namibia, and to the east - Zambia.
Municipalities
The province of Cuando Cubango contains nine municipalities:
Calai
Cuangar
Cuchi
Cuito Cuanavale
Dirico
Mavinga
Menongue
Nancova
Rivungo
Communes
The province of Cuando Cubango contains the following communes; sorted by their respective municipalities:
Calai Municipality – Calai, Maué, Mavengue
Cuangar Municipality – Caila (Bondo), Cuangar, Savate
Cuchi Municipality – Chinguanja, Cuchi, Cutato (Kutato), Vissati
Cuito Cuanavale Municipality – Baixo Longa, Cuito Cuanavale, Longa, Lupire (Lupiri)
Dirico Municipality – Dirico, Mucusso, Xamavera
Mavinga Municipality – Cunjamba Dima, Cutuile (Kutuile), Luengue, Mavinga
Menongue Municipality – Caiundo (Kaiundo), Cueio-Betre, Menongue, Missombo
Nancova Municipality – Nancova, Rito
Rivungo Municipality – Chipundo, Jamba-Cueio, Luiana, Mainha Neriquinha, Rivungo
Natural history
Considerable natural habitat previously existed within the province, although much of these areas has been destroyed during the period 1965 to 1991 during the foreign intervention years of the Angolan Civil War. In particular, the area was previously suitable habitat for the endangered painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus, which is now deemed extirpated in the local area.
List of governors of Cuando Cubango
References
Citations
Bibliography
, 9780415350150 354 pages
C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
External links
Official website of province governor
Information on this province at the Angolan ministry for territorial administration
Information on this province at Info Angola
Site Official de Kizomba
United States government population statistics from 1988
angola.org.uk
Province geographical info at geoview.info
Provinces of Angola