The northern Cuanza Norte province, which has been named after Salazar, during the colonial period, has also been referred to as the "garden city". It was deeply marked by the war, especially after the 1992 elections, having suffered the looting and destruction of public buildings and property of the local population. With the establishment of peace in Angola, the province has been seeking to attract both local and international investment, and also shows the potential of the region with the aim of restoring and reviving the province's economy.
Cuanza Norte is linked to the history of the kingdom of Ngola as it was in this territory, more precisely in the region now called Matamba in the municipality of Samba Caju, that in the distant year of 1650 lived the queen Ginga Mbandi.
In 1914, the then colonial governor of Angola, the Portuguese Norton de Matos, created the District of Cuanza. Through a decree of 15 September 1917, the district was divided into North and South, and as a result of its location on the northern bank of the river Cuanza, this portion of land was named Cuanza Norte.
The current Cuanza Norte, especially the areas of Kambambe and Golungo Alto are the lands of the interior of the Portuguese occupation of the late 16th century and the beginning of the next century. The Cuanza River was the major route used by the Portuguese in their penetration into the interior.
There are reports that in 1604, goods passed by Kazengo, the current municipal headquarters of Cuanza Norte province, down from Luanda, by the said river to the vicinity of Kambambe, from where they were transported to the inland regions.
An evidence of this is also the foundation of the Penitentiary of Ambaca, a few kilometres of Delantando, in the year 1614.
In the past, Cuanza Norte constituted a quartermaster of the former Province of Congo, which was detached in October of 1954.
Area
A província de Cuanza Norte tem uma superfície de 24.110 km quadrados.
Distance in relation to other cities
Administrative Division
N'dalatando é a capital da província do Cuanza Norte e tem os seguintes municípios:
| Municipality | Commune |
|---|---|
| Cazengo | Cazengo (Headquarters) Canhoca |
| Ambaca | Camabatela (Headquarters) Bingo Luínga Maua Tango |
| Banga | Banga (Headquarters) Aldeia Nova Caculo Cabaça Cariamba |
| Bolongongo | Bolongongo (Headquarters) Quiquiemba Terreiro |
| Cambambe | Dondo (Headquarters) Quilemba Dange ia Menha Massangano Zanza do Itombe |
| Gonlungo-Alto | Golungo-Alto (Headquarters) Cambondo Cerca Quiluange |
| Ngonguembo | Quilombo dos Dembos (Headquarters) Camame Cavunga |
| Lucala | Lucala (Headquarters) Quiangombe |
| Quiculungo | Quiculungo (Headquarters) |
| Samba-Cajú | Samba-Cajú (Headquarters) Samba-Lucala |
Climate
De clima tropical húmido, apresenta uma temperatura média entre os 22 e os 24°C.
Ethinic Groups
A população de Cuanza Norte é, na sua maioria, da etnia Umbundo. A língua nacional mais falada é o Kimbundo.
Population
Tem uma população estimada em 418 000 habitantes (2004), estando a sua maioria concentrada na capital provincial.
Natural Resources
A província detém uma gama considerável de minerais tais como: O ouro, diamantes, ferro, manganês, mármores, níquel, quartzo, zinco e cal. O manganês, o ferro e o mármore que já se exploravam em tempos idos e será necessária a reactivação de exploração. Para os restantes minerais impõe-se a necessidade de uma avaliação e quantificação das jazidas existentes para permitir estudos de exploração de diamantes na bacia do rio Cuanza.
