Namibe Province


Namibe Province is a province of Angola. Under Portuguese rule it was the Moçâmedes District. It has an area of 57,091 km² and had a 2014 census population of 495,326. The port and city of Moçâmedes is the capital of the province with a population of 250,000 in 2014. Iona National Park lies within the province.

History

From its foundation by the Portuguese in 1840 and until 1985, the area was known as Moçâmedes. The current name of the province is derived from the Namib Desert, lying predominantly in Namibia; the northernmost part, however, extended into the province of Namibe.
Extensive flooding in the province occurred on April 5, 2001, with the Bero and Giraul River severely affecting roads and people in Namibe, Huila and Benguela provinces. A reported 20 people in Namibe Province lost their lives during the flood.

Geography and wildlife

Namibe Province covers an area of 57,091 km², much of which is desert. The capital of the province is the city of Moçâmedes, with the second city being Tômbua or Tómbwa. In the Namib Desert can be seen the rare Welwitschia mirabilis, "a strange plant with a giant root", and also the Iona National Park. Lake Arco, a fresh-water oasis, is a stunning sight in the middle of the desert. Near the coast of the Bentiaba desert and in Iona National Park, Late Cretaceous fossils of sharks, turtles, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and sauropods have been discovered.

Municipalities

The province is divided into five municipalities, Bibala, Camacuio, Moçâmedes, Tômbua and Virei, which in turn are divided into 21 communes.

Demographics

Namibe Province had a population of 495,326 according to the 2014 census. The desert is sparsely inhabited, but is inhabited by Herero groups and small Khoisan groups.

Economy

Agriculture is the main source of income in Namibe Province, the principal crops being citrus fruits, olives, guava, millet, and livestock, including the rearing of sheep and goats. Fishing is another means of livelihood for the people of Namibe Province, Tômbua being the main market.
The province has significant reserves of gold, copper, manganese, chromium, tin, lignite and marble. The Yuri Gagarin Airport and the Commercial Port of Moçâmedes, are the two main centres for transport for the import and export of products.

List of Governors of Namibe

Pre-independence period

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