Lunda Norte

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Trotamundo 20:52, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

LUNDA NORTE PROVINCE in 1992

Lunda Norte is a province in which the principal economic activity is the extraction of diamonds. This activity is handled by the ENDIAMA Company that provides most facilities to a large part of the province, as well as to the local administration. The population is constantly fluctuating due to the contribution of the Zairian citizens who, for trade purposes, continually cross the border into the province. The huge and rather fertile land lies fallow, since the men scarcely undertake farming, as a result of the colonial Land Tenure Law. The population (mostly from the cities) depends on outside supplies for food.

Dundo, Lucapa and Cafunfo enjoy good standard airports which are usable day and night. These cities are mining centers.

A. GEOGRAPHY

Lunda Norte is a landlocked province of 103,000 km², located at the very northeastern end of Angola. It is bordered on the south by the province of Lunda Sul (450 km), on the west by the province of Malange (300 km) and on both the north (600 km) and the east (125 km) the Republic of Zaire. Chitato, the administrative capital of the province is about 1,000km from Luanda at bird's eye view and also a 2 hour flight from there.

Lunda Norte is crossed by many rivers of which Luachimo and Xicapa are the most important. Both of them are tributaries of the Zaire River. The vegetation is a mosaic of forest and savannah in the east and west sides, and dry savannah in the central region. The rainy season begins in September and is hot and humid.

The road network in the municipalities of Cuilo, Cuangula and Lubalo is inaccessible; the road between Cuilo and Cuangula is mined and the portion between Cuangula and Lubalo is very poor. Here air assistance would be advisable.

B. POPULATION

The lack of a recent census makes it difficult to provide a precise figure regarding the population. Besides as the country turned peaceful, many refugees are returning home. However, it is estimated at 500,000 inhabitants divided in four ethnic groups: Chokwe (the predominant), Lunda, Baluba and Cacongo.

The Christian faith is widespread throughout the province. This is reflected in the large number of denominations: Catholic, Protestant, Adventists of the 7th Day, Pentecostal, Heavenly Christians, et al.

Many people, who cannot afford modern housing in the cities, live in the "bairros" -- spontaneous districts built in the neighborhood of the main cities --. In the rural areas, the populations live in "aldeias" -- villages -- in which the "soba" is the chief. The soba holds the traditional power; he is an authority on traditional and community-daily matters. Since the sobas scarcely speak Portuguese, they are assisted by people who translate from the dialect to Portuguese and vice-versa. In the municipalities of Chitato, Cambulo and Lucapa, many people speak French because of the proximity of Zaire.

C. SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Half of the population lives out of the rural areas. Thanks to ENDIAMA, the health care system is rather fair: Dundo, Nzagi, Lucapa and Cafunfo enjoy rather good standard hospitals with devoted doctors and surgeons. In the other five municipalities, health care is very poor. The hospitals are fairly provided with first aid medicaments. According to the doctors, measles and smallpox epidemics frequently appear. Malaria is also reported.

Here, more than elsewhere in Angola, the rate of illiteracy is very high -- between 80 and 90%. The most literate people have hardly completed the syllabus of the secondary school. In the rural areas, many schools --as well as churches -- were destroyed during the civil war; the few of them which were closed remain closed. Consequently, generations of teenagers and children cannot read, speak or write Portuguese. The teaching vocation seems not to be prized since there is a tremendous lack of teachers.

ENDIAMA provides food, water, electricity and fossil energy in the mining areas as well as in towns around them. The population around these areas is well dressed and well fed. In the rural districts however, life is tough, especially for women:

a) They have to walk long distances in order to gather firewood or bring water to their homes. b) When covering these long distances, they carry a heavy burden on their heads and the youngest child on their backs; c) Most of them are thin and seem under-fed. The usual meal for them is "mandioca" -- cassava, the food staple "farinha de mandioca" is made from this species --. The leaves are eaten as vegetables and the farinha de mandioca as "fungi"; the tubers are cooked the same way the potatoes. The meals are rather poor.

The men, on the other hand, build the "houses"; the walls are made of mud bricks, the roof are made either of straw or sheet metal. But the most rewarding activity for them is the digging in order to get "stones"--diamonds-- which they offer at random either in the streets or in the market. ENDIAMA Mining Company, a "state-owned", controls the diamond industry. The underground economy, the "cadonga", is well developed in this province

[edit] External links

• Provinces of Angola - Lunda-Norte

Provinces of Angola
Bengo | Benguela | Bié | Cabinda | Cuando Cubango | Cuanza Norte | Cuanza Sul | Cunene | Huambo | Huíla | Luanda | Lunda Norte | Lunda Sul | Malanje | Moxico | Namibe | Uíge | Zaire