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Zaire ( pt, Zaire, french: Zaïre, kg, Nzadi) is one of the 18
provinces of Angola Angola is divided into eighteen provinces, known in Portuguese as ''províncias'': See also * List of provinces of Angola by Human Development Index * Municipalities of Angola * Communes of Angola The Communes of Angola ( pt, comunas) are a ...
. It occupies in the north west of the country and had a population of 594,428 inhabitants in 2014. It is bordered on the west by 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's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, on the north by the
Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, on the east by the
Uíge Province Uíge (pronunciation: ; kg, Wizidi) is one of the eighteen Provinces of Angola, located in the northwestern part of the country. Its capital city is of the same name. History During the Middle Ages, the Uíge Province was the heartland of the ...
, and on the south by the
Bengo Province Bengo is a province of Angola. Its capital is Caxito. It has an area of 31,371 square kilometres, and its population as of the 2014 Census was 356,641. The province was created in 1980 by dividing the original province of Luanda into Bengo and ...
.


History

The
Kongo people The Kongo people ( kg, Bisi Kongo, , singular: ; also , singular: ) are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others. They have liv ...
(or Bakongo) occupied the valley of the Congo (or Zaire) River in the mid-thirteenth century, and formed the
Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( kg, Kongo dya Ntotila or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' pt, Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the ...
, which existed from 1390 until 1891 as an independent state, and until 1914 as a vassal state of the
Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kn ...
. In 1914, the Kongo monarchy was abolished after Portuguese suppression of several revolts. From 1885,
Portuguese Angola Portuguese Angola refers to Angola during the historic period when it was a territory under Portuguese rule in southwestern Africa. In the same context, it was known until 1951 as Portuguese West Africa (officially the State of West Africa). I ...
included the District of Congo, which was split in 1919 into the districts of Cabinda and Zaire, respectively north and south of the Congo/Zaire River. During the 1961–1974
Angolan War of Independence The Angolan War of Independence (; 1961–1974), called in Angola the ("Armed Struggle of National Liberation"), began as an uprising against forced cultivation of cotton, and it became a multi-faction struggle for the control of Portugal ...
, a large fraction of the Bakongo fled to the Republic of Zaire. Many of these refugees and their offspring returned after the
Alvor Agreement The Alvor Agreement, signed on 15 January 1975 in Alvor, Portugal, granted Angola independence from Portugal on 11 November and formally ended the 13-year-long Angolan War of Independence. The agreement was signed by the Portuguese governme ...
recognised Angolan independence.


Monuments

Historical and cultural monuments include: * Kulumbimbi Museum: Ancient King's House in M'Banza Congo. * ''Yala Nkuw'' (Tree of force or blood): Place where the king of Kongo executed verdicts. * Ruins of the Cathedral: First Church of Angola, built in 1491. It was visited by Pope John Paul II. * Rico and Pinda Ports: They served as ports for exportation of slaves. * ''Ponta do Padrão'': First port that served the Portuguese in 1482 for the discovery of Angola by Diogo Cão.


Capital

M'Banza Congo (formerly São Salvador do Congo) is the provincial capital. The city is located around of
Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seapo ...
and of
Uíge Uíge ( kg, Wizidi), formerly Carmona, is a provincial capital city in northwestern Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , rel ...
.


Municipalities

The province of Cuanza Norte contains six
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 ...
( pt, municípios): *
Cuimba Cuimba is a town and municipality in Zaire Province in Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religi ...
*
M'Banza Congo Mbanza-Kongo (, , or , known as São Salvador in Portuguese from 1570 to 1975), is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province with a population of 148,000 (2014). Mbanza Kongo (properly Mbanza Koongo or Kôngo in most acceptable orthog ...
* Nóqui *
N'zeto N'zeto is a town, with a population of 28,840 (2014 census),Citypopulation.de
Population of cities & urban local ...
* Soyo *
Tomboco Tomboco is a town and municipality in Zaire Province in Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , relig ...


Communes

The province of Cuanza Norte 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, relig ...
( pt, comunas); sorted by their respective municipalities: * Cuimba Municipality: – Buela,
Cuimba Cuimba is a town and municipality in Zaire Province in Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religi ...
,
Luvaca Luvaca is a commune of Angola, located in the province of Zaire. See also * Communes of Angola The Communes of Angola ( pt, comunas) are administrative units in Angola after municipalities. The 163 municipalities of Angola are divided into ...
, Serra da Canda (Kanda) * M'Banza Congo Municipality: – Caluca, Kiende (Quiende), Luvu, Madimba,
M'Banza Kongo Mbanza-Kongo (, , or , known as São Salvador in Portuguese from 1570 to 1975), is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province with a population of 148,000 (2014). Mbanza Kongo (properly Mbanza Koongo or Kôngo in most acceptable orth ...
, Nkalambata (Calambata) * Nóqui Municipality: – Lufico,
Mpala Lulendo Mpala Lulendo is a commune of Angola, located in the province of Zaire. See also * Communes of Angola The Communes of Angola ( pt, comunas) are administrative units in Angola after municipalities. The 163 municipalities of Angola are divide ...
, Nóqui * N'Zeto Municipality: – Kindeji (Quindeje), Loge (Kibala Norte or Loge-Kibala,
Mussera Mussera is a commune of Angola, located in the province of Zaire. See also * Communes of Angola The Communes of Angola ( pt, comunas) are administrative units in Angola after municipalities. The 163 municipalities of Angola are divided into ...
,
N'Zeto N'zeto is a town, with a population of 28,840 (2014 census),Citypopulation.de
Population of cities & urban local ...
* Soyo Municipality: – Kelo (Quêlo), Mangue Grande, Pedra de Feitiço, Soyo,
Sumba Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
* Tomboco Municipality: – Kiximba (Quinsimba), Kinzau (Quinzau),
Tomboco Tomboco is a town and municipality in Zaire Province in Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , relig ...


Geography

Zaire Province has two seasons: from November to May, the rainy season; and from June to October, the dry season. The predominant types of weather in the province are tropical wet climate and
semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...
. The temperature in the area varies between 24 °C and 26 °C. Fauna and Flora of the region are very varied, with
savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...
h and dense
rainforests Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest, ...
. The main rivers of Zaire Province are: Congo, Mbridge, Lufunde, Zadi, Cuilo and Buenga.


Demography

The national language spoken in the province is Kikongo and the predominant ethnic group in the region is
Bakongo The Kongo people ( kg, Bisi Kongo, , singular: ; also , singular: ) are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others. They have lived a ...
. According to preliminary data from the General Census of Population and Housing conducted in May 2014, Zaire Province has currently 567,225 inhabitants, corresponding to 2.3 percent of the Angolan population. In this province, reside 285,333 women and 281,892 men, with 26.1% of the population living in rural areas and the majority, 73.9%, living in urban areas. The data also point to a population density of .


Politics

The Zaire Provincial Government consists of Governor José Joana André, and 3 Deputy Governors. Ângela Maria Botelho de Carvalho Diogo is the Deputy Governor for the area of Technical Services and Infrastructures; Alberto Maria Sabino is the Deputy Governor for the Economic Sector; and Rogério Eduardo Zabila is the Deputy Governor for Political and Social Sector.


Industries

*
Petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
* Mining:
asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...
, iron,
phosphates In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phosph ...
, lead,
zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
* Agriculture:
cashew The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cul ...
nuts,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
,
castor oil Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans. It is a colourless or pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor. Its boiling point is and its density is 0.961 g/cm3. It includes a mixture of triglycerides in which about ...
, citrus fruits,
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
, massambala,
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced fr ...
,
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
s, peanuts, rice, soybeans, sweet potatoes * Cattle farming * Fishing * Production of
construction materials This is a list of building materials. Many types of building materials are used in the construction industry to create buildings and structures. These categories of materials and products are used by architects and construction project managers ...
* Deposits:
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
, silver, diamonds


Transportation


Airports

Zaire Province is served by three airports.
Soyo Airport Soyo Airport is an airport serving Soyo, a city in Zaire Province in Angola. The runway has an additional displaced threshold on each end, for a total paved length of . The Soyo non-directional beacon (Ident: SO) is located on the field. Air ...
and Mbanza Congo Airport have paved runways and regular flights to Luanda.
N'zeto Airport N'zeto Airport is an airport serving N'zeto, a town in Zaire Province, Angola. The runway is south of the town, along the Atlantic coast. See also * * * List of airports in Angola This is a list of airports in Angola, sorted by location. An ...
has a grass strip runway and is used for private flights.


Culture

The city celebrations take place on July 25 in M’'Banza Congo, and on April 5 in Soyo. Province typical dishes are sacafolha (made with cassava leaves), dishes made with fresh and dried fish accompanied by bombó funge, and dishes with game meat.


Tourism

Zaire Province has several natural points of interest, namely: * The Spell Stone in Soyo. * Musserra Bay, from N'Zeto: used for bathing and
water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
. * Sirenes Beach in Soyo. * Beach of the Poor, located in a prime area of Soyo city, on the left bank of the
Zaire River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
. *
Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharg ...
Mouth. * Mbdrige River Falls in Soyo: used to
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other act ...
and
rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
. * Pululu Channel in Kwanda. * Kimbumba Channel, located east of Soyo. * Zau Evua Caves, from M'Banza Congo. * Senga Caves.


List of governors of Zaire


References


Further reading

* Elikia M'Bokolo (2003). ''África Negra. História das Civilizações'', vol. I, ''Até ao Século XVIII''. Lisboa: Vulgata (in Portuguese) * Elikia M'Bokolo (2007). ''África Negra. História das Civilizações'', vol. II, ''Do Século XIX aos nossos dias''. Lisboa: Colibri (in Portuguese) * Patrício Batsîkama (2010)
''As origens do Reino do Kongo
''. Luanda: Mayamba (in Portuguese)


External links


Provincial Government of Zaire

Province geographical info at geoview.info
{{Authority control Provinces of Angola