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Bié is a province of
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
located on the
Bié Plateau The Bié Plateau or Central Plateau of Angola is a plateau that occupies most of central Angola. The elevation of the plateau is from 1,520 m to 1,824.8956 m. Several major rivers originate from the plateau such as the Cunene River, the Kuanza ...
in central part of country. Its capital is Kuito, which was called Silva Porto until independence from Portugal in 1975. The province has an area of and a population of 1,455,255 in 2014. The current governor of Bié is José Amaro Tati.


Geography

Bié has boundaries with the province of Malanje, to the northeast with the province of
Lunda Sul :''Lunda Sul Province is not to be confused with Luanda Sul, a satellite city of Luanda, the capital of Angola.'' Lunda Sul ("South Lunda") is a province of Angola. It has an area of 77,637 km² and a 2014 census population of 537,587. Sau ...
, to Moxico, to the south with
Cuando Cubango 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 appoi ...
and to the west with the provinces of Huila, Huambo and Cuanza Sul.


Climate

The
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
of Bié is cool and abundant rainfall makes it possible to farm maize, sugar cane, rice, coffee and peanuts. Its ground is among the most fertile in
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
.


History

The province was once an important commercial link between the Portuguese traders at the port of
Benguela Benguela (; Umbundu: Luombaka) is a city in western Angola, capital of Benguela Province. Benguela is one of Angola's most populous cities with a population of 555,124 in the city and 561,775 in the municipality, at the 2014 census. History Po ...
on the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...
and the
Ovimbundu The Ovimbundu, also known as the Southern Mbundu, are a Bantu ethnic group who live on the Bié Plateau of central Angola and in the coastal strip west of these highlands. As the largest ethnic group in Angola, they make up 38 percent of t ...
in the interior. The capital and other cities in the province remain important commercial centers in Angola.


Origins of Jonas Savimbi

Bié province is perhaps best known as the place where the family of Angolan political leader
Jonas Savimbi Jonas Malheiro Savimbi (; 3 August 1934 – 22 February 2002) was an Angolan revolutionary politician and rebel military leader who founded and led the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). UNITA waged a guerrilla war agai ...
came from. Savimbi, although born in
Moxico Province Moxico (Portuguese spelling) or Moshiko (Bantu spelling) is the largest province of Angola. It has an area of , and covers 18% of the landmass of Angola. The province has a population of 758,568 (2014 census) and a population density of approxim ...
near Bié, was ethnically Bieno, i.e. of a subgroup of the
Ovimbundu The Ovimbundu, also known as the Southern Mbundu, are a Bantu ethnic group who live on the Bié Plateau of central Angola and in the coastal strip west of these highlands. As the largest ethnic group in Angola, they make up 38 percent of t ...
. He led the UNITA movement first in the anti-colonial war against the Portuguese, and then in the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...
against the ruling
MPLA The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, abbr. MPLA), for some years called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (), is an Angolan left-wing, social de ...
before he was killed in combat in 2002. Savimbi gained global notoriety as a United States ally during the Cold War.


Civil War

Bié is one of the regions that was heavily affected by the Civil War. Agriculture came to a halt in several areas, and part of the rural population fled to the cities. The province capital Kuito was in part destroyed by bombing, as were roads and other infrastructures. Since 2002, reconstruction efforts have been important, but as of early 2011 much remained to be done.


Municipalities

The province of Bié contains nine
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
( pt, municípios): * Andulo * Camacupa * Catabola * Chinguar * Chitembo *
Cuemba Cuemba is a town and municipality in Bié Province in Angola. The municipality had a population of 56,963 in 2014. See also * Railway stations in Angola Railway stations in Angola include: Towns served by rail North line (Luanda Railwa ...
*
Cuíto Cuíto, formerly known as Silva Porto, is a city and municipality in central Angola, capital of Bié Province. The municipality had a population of 450,881 in 2014. Projected to be the tenth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2 ...
(Kuito) * Cunhinga * N'Harea (Nharea)


Communes

The province of Bié contains the following
communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...
( pt, comunas); sorted by their respective municipalities: * Andulo Municipality – Andulo, Calucinga, Cassumbe, Chivaúlo * Camacupa Municipality – Camacupa, Cuanza, Ringoma, Santo António da Muinha, Umpulo * Catabola Municipality – Caiuera (Caivera), Catabola
Chipeta Chipeta or White Singing Bird (1843 or 1844 – August 1924) was a Native American woman, and the second wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe. Born a Kiowa Apache, she was raised by the Utes in what is now Conejos, Colorado. An adv ...
, Chiuca, Sande * Chinguar Municipality – Cangote (Kangote), Chinguar, Cutato (Kutato) * Chitembo Municipality – Cachingues, Chitembo, Malengue, Mumbué, Mutumbo (Matumbo), Soma Cuanza * Cuemba Municipality –
Cuemba Cuemba is a town and municipality in Bié Province in Angola. The municipality had a population of 56,963 in 2014. See also * Railway stations in Angola Railway stations in Angola include: Towns served by rail North line (Luanda Railwa ...
, Luando, Munhango, Sachinemuna * Kuito Municipality – Cambândua, Chicala,
Cuíto Cuíto, formerly known as Silva Porto, is a city and municipality in central Angola, capital of Bié Province. The municipality had a population of 450,881 in 2014. Projected to be the tenth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2 ...
(Kuito), Cunje (Kunje),
Trumba Trumba is a city and commune of Angola, located in the province of Bié. See also * Communes of Angola The Communes of Angola ( pt, comunas) are administrative units in Angola after municipalities. The 163 municipalities of Angola are di ...
* Cunhinga Municipality –
Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
, Cunhinga * N'Harea Municipality – Calei (Caiei),
Dando Dando is a town in Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh province, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, w ...
, Gamba, Lúbia, N'Harea (Nharea)


List of governors of Bié


References


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''



Province geographical info at geoview.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bie Province Provinces of Angola