Huíla Province

Huíla is a province of Angola. It has an area of and a population of 3,302,866 (2024 census). Lubango is the capital of the province. Basket-making is a significant industry in the province; many make baskets out of reeds.

History

From the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1975) to Angola's independence, and the subsequent civil war in Angola (1975-2002) Huíla was directly affected only during relatively short periods of time. Cassinga was abandoned by its European supervisors, and the mine fell into neglect during the ensuing Angolan Civil War. The following year it was occupied by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), military wing of the South West African People's Organization. PLAN subsequently adopted Cassinga as a staging point for insurgent raids on South-West Africa, about 250 kilometres to the south. Their bases soon became a sanctuary for local refugees during the Namibian War of Independence.

In 1978, PLAN's presence in Cassinga attracted the attention of the South African Defence Force. Operation Reindeer saw paratroops of the 44 Parachute Regiment supported by bomber and strike aircraft launch an air assault on 4 May. The six-hour assault claimed approximately 600 lives,

The post-colonial development in Angola has seen the establishment of two universities in Lubango (the state Universidade Mandume, named after a leader of the Ovambo in the fight against the occupation by the Portuguese), as well as a campus of the Universidade Privada de Angola. Tourism is emerging, largely involving white entrepreneurs from Namibia, which the provincial government is actively seeking to attract.

Geography

Huíla Province is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal longitude and latitude. The province is bordered on the west by the provinces of Namibe and Benguela, to the north by Bié and Cubango, and to the south by the province of Cunene. Most pastoral farmers in the province are known Nyaneka-Khumbi, but do not form a whole ethnic group. A significant ethnic group in the province is the Mwila, who originally inhabited the plateau areas.

Favored by the relatively mild climate, there was a relatively strong colonization by Portuguese immigrants who sometimes mixed with the local population. This led to expansion and diversification of agriculture at the same time, but also to a growth of cities and towns. However, the influx of IDPs in the thousands during the war severely affected the province.

During the war, a considerable number of Ovimbundu fled to the highlands of the province of Huíla. In some areas they now represent some 37% of the population, with the largest concentration in the central highlands. There is now also a much smaller number of Bakongo who had been assimilated from the Congo, and some settled in the province upon their return. The Heroro represent about 0.5% of the population.

List of governors of Huila

{| class="wikitable sortable

! Name !! Years in office

| Emílio Braz || data-sort-value="02"|1975–1976

| Belarmino Sabugosa Van-Dúnem || data-sort-value="03"|1976–1978

| Nazário Vital || data-sort-value="02"|1978–1979

| Maj. Miguel João Luís Ivady || data-sort-value="03"|1979–1981

| Mariano da Costa Garcia Puku || data-sort-value="03"|1981–1983

| Rafael Sapilinha Sambalanga || data-sort-value="04"|1983–1986

| Lopo Fortunato Ferreira do Nascimento || data-sort-value="05"|1986–1990

| Dumilde das Chagas Simões Rangel || data-sort-value="06"|1990–1995

| Kundi Paihama || data-sort-value="05"|1995–1999

| Francisco José Ramos da Cruz || data-sort-value="10"|1999–2008

| Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos || data-sort-value="05"|2008–2012

| João Marcelino Tyipinge || data-sort-value="06"|2012–2018

| Luís da Fonseca Nunes || data-sort-value="02"|2018–2021

|Nuno Bernabé Mahapi Dala

|2021–

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