Moxico Leste Province
Moxico Leste | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates: 12°S 23°E / 12°S 23°E | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Established | 5 September 2024 |
| Capital | Cazombo |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Crispiniano Vivaldino Evaristo dos Santos (MPLA) |
| Area | |
• Total | 73,141 km2 (28,240 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (1 July 2022)[2] | 318,582 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
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.[3]
Geography and climate
[edit]Moxico Leste borders the Angolan provinces of Lunda Sul to the northwest and Moxico to the southwest. It also borders Lualaba Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the northeast, and Zambia's North-Western Province to the southeast. Much of Moxico Leste lies in the upper Zambezi River basin, except for the portion along the Kasai River that demarcates the provincial border with Lunda Sul. Cameia National Park is located in the province, as is Lake Dilolo, Angola's largest lake.[4] Ecoregions found in the province include Angolan miombo woodlands, Zambezian evergreen dry forests and Zambezian flooded grasslands.[5]
Moxico Leste experiences a tropical savanna climate with the dry season or cacimbo running from May to August.[6]
History
[edit]Since at least 2016, there have been proposals to divide Moxico, formerly Angola's largest province by area, into two smaller provinces.[7][8] On 14 August 2024, Angola's National Assembly approved a law to create three new provinces, including separating the municipalities of Alto Zambeze, Cameia, Luacano and Luau from Moxico to form the new province of Moxico Leste. This law went into effect with its publication in the official gazette of Angola on 5 September 2024.[9] Originally the new province was to be named Cassai Zambeze, but the name was changed after consultation with Nhakatolo Ngambo, the sovereign of the Luvale and Lunda peoples.[10]
Administration
[edit]Moxico Leste is divided into the nine municipalities of Caianda, Cameia, Cazombo, Lago Dilolo, Lóvua do Zambeze, Luacano, Luau, Macondo and Nana Candundo. Cazombo is further subdivided into the communes of Cazombo and Lumbala Caquengue, and Macondo is subdivided into the communes of Macondo and Calunda.[9]
The first governor of Moxico Leste is Crispiniano Vivaldino Evaristo dos Santos, who was appointed in December 2024.[11]
Demographics
[edit]The former municipalities that now form part of Moxico Leste reported a combined population of 250,584 in the 2014 census. In 2022 the population of these municipalities was projected at 318,582 inhabitants.[2] Major ethnic groups in the region include the Chokwe, Luvale, and Lunda Dembo.[1]
Economy and infrastructure
[edit]The main economic activity in Moxico Leste is agriculture. In colonial times, Alto Zambeze was a major rice producer in Angola,[6] while nowadays Cameia is a locally significant producer of fruits such as oranges and bananas.[1] Anglo American, Rio Tinto, and Ivanhoe Mines are prospecting in the area for minerals such as copper, zinc, titanium and aluminum.[12] Many Angolans living near the national border go to work in the DRC and Zambia.[13]
The Benguela railway runs through the towns of Cameia, Luacano and Luau.[1] National road EN250 connects Luau to Cazombo, but it is in a severe state of disrepair.[13][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Monografia Moxico" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Provincial government of Moxico. November 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b Brinkhoff, Thomas (20 April 2022). "Angola: Administrative Division". City Population. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Manuel, Victor (25 December 2024). "Angola: Novo ano novo mapa". ANGOP. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Cameia National Park". BirdLife International. 2001. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Huntley, Brian John (8 March 2023). "Profiles of Angola's Biomes and Ecoregions". Ecology of Angola. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-18923-4_3. ISBN 978-3-031-18923-4.
- ^ a b "Alto Zambeze: é maior que a Holanda mas não tem um quilómetro de asfalto" (in Portuguese). Ver Angola. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Kuando Kubango e Moxico podem ser alvo de divisão politico-administrativa" (in Portuguese). Novo Jornal. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Divisão Político-Administrativa cria mais cinco províncias" (in Portuguese). Kesongo. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Lei n.° 14/24 de 5 de Setembro" (PDF). Diário da República. No. 171. Government of Angola. 5 September 2024. pp. 9800–10505. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Pires, Bernardo (27 November 2024). "Rainha Nhakatolo satisfeita com alteração do nome da província de Cassai Zambeze para Moxico Leste" (in Portuguese). Jornal OPaís. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Presidente da República nomeia governadores das três novas províncias" (in Portuguese). Jornal OPaís. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Divisão territorial se fosse hoje Luanda, Moxico e Cuando Cubango perderiam investimentos de 54 mil milhões AOA$" (in Portuguese). Angola Económico. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b Luamba, Manuel (24 November 2021). "Moxico está isolado de Angola por causa das más estradas" (in Portuguese). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Via Luau/Cazombo percorrida em 11 horas devido à degradação da EN 250" (in Portuguese). Jornal OPaís. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
