Bengo Province

Bengo is one of the 18 provinces into which Angola is administratively divided, located in the north of the country. It has an area of 33,016 km² and a population of approximately 450,000. The city of Caxito, in the municipality of Dande, is the capital of the province.

Municipalities with estimated population in July 2018

Geography

The main advantage of this province is its proximity to Luanda. located seventy kilometers from its capital Caxito. The climate is dry tropical with an average temperature of 25 °C, with March being the hottest (33 °C) and July the coldest (17 °C).

Demographics

The province had 166,000 inhabitants in July 1991, estimated in 2006 at 460,508 people.

Administrative division

It is bordered by the provinces of Zaire to the north, Uíge to the northeast, Cuanza Norte to the east, and Cuanza Sul to the south. It is a coastal province, and has natural beaches, such as Pambala and Libongos, 7 km long.

Catholic Church in Porto Quipiri

The province of Bengo is made up of 8 municipalities:

• Ambriz,
• Bula Atumba,
• Dande,
• Dembos,
• Icolo and Bengo,
• Nambuangongo,
• Pango-Aluquém,
• Quisama.

The most important cities are: Cabo Ledo, Lagoa de Panguila, Puerto Kipiri and Funda.

Communes

• Ambriz, headquarters.
  • Bela Vista.
  • Tabi
• Dande, Caxito, headquarters.
  • Dande bar,
  • Mabubas.
  • Quicabo,
  • Ucua
• Icolo and Bengo, headquarters
  • Good Jesus,
  • Cabiri,
  • Cassoneca,
  • Cahango,
  • Catete.

Languages

In addition to the Portuguese language, the predominant language in this province is Kikongo, although in the Ambundu socio-cultural area Kimbundo is spoken and in other places Bacongo.

Ethnic groups

The main ethnic groups that predominate in the municipality of Ambriz in the province are:

• Kingdom of Nkolo Yo Nimi;
• Kingdom of Nsulu;
• Kingdom of Nsonso;
• Kingdom of Nené Capitão;
• Kingdom of Pambala Longua;
• Kingdom of Sanzu to Kalunga;
• Kingdom of Makiassa Ma Mbambi.

Economic activity

Bengo.

The main economic activity is agriculture, focusing on the cultivation of coffee, cotton, cassava, palm trees, citrus, bananas and vegetables. They also work wood, and do fishing work.

The minerals that are extracted are: sulfur, gem, phosphate, calcareous and quartz.

Another important driver of economic activity is sport fishing and hunting.

Crafts

Local artisans use local materials such as embroidery, bamboo, wood, pau preto.

Climate

It has a dry tropical climate, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. The hottest month is March, with 33 °C; while the coldest month is July, when it drops to 17 °C.

Natural resources

In this province is located the Kissama National Park and also the Kibinda Forest Reserve surrounded by two large rivers, the Longa and the Kwanza. The latter is navigable throughout its entire passage through the park, and up to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The province also has a number of lakes, most of them are in the municipalities of Dande and Icolo and Bengo. There are lagoons in Panguila and Ibendoa, Cabiri and Ulua make Sungui.

The natural beauty of the beaches, in Pambala and Libongos, seven kilometers long, in Cabo Ledo and Ambriz.