Huambo Province
| Huambo | |
|---|---|
| Province | |
 Huambo, province of Angola |
|
| Country | Angola |
| Capital | Huambo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 34,270 km2 (13,230 sq mi) |
| Population (2014 census) | |
| • Total | 1,896,147 |
| • Density | 55/km2 (140/sq mi) |
| ISO 3166 code | AO-HUA |
| Website | www |
Huambo is a province of Angola. With an area of 34,270 km2 it is one of the geographically smaller provinces, situated in the Central Region approximately 450 km south east of the capital, Luanda.
The province has an estimated population of 1.9 million people, approximately 15% of the national total of 15.7 million. More than half, 55%, of the population is urbanized, concentrated in Huambo city (822,000 people) and Caála municipality (239,000 people).
The foundation of the Central Plateau is a vast slab of primeval crystalline rock that frequently outcrops in the form of isolated rocks or massive peaks. The most prominent peak in the province is Mt. Môco in Londuimbali, with 2,620 metres. The peak is the highest point in Angola. The headwaters of the Kunene River rise on the Central Plateau near Huambo town. Much of the soil in Huambo Province is of poor quality, and has been impoverished in many areas by overuse and erosion. However, it is generally of better quality than in the adjoining regions to the east, north and south.
Striking differences can be observed between the vegetation of the highlands and the lower zone towards the coast. One characteristic feature of the coastal area is the baobab (Adansonia Digitata, or imbondeiro, in Portuguese). Tropical forests can also be found in the areas that receive significant rainfall. Until recently, the highlands were covered with a variety of trees; today, however, except in isolated areas in Bailundo and other regions, grasslands have taken the place of forest and woodland. Traditional methods of agriculture, slash-and-burn techniques (queimadas) and overpopulation by large concentrations of people displaced from their homes during the war (1975–2002) have caused significant deforestation. The use of wood fuel for the Benguela Railway until the 1980s was also responsible for deforestation. Large extensions of native forest have been cut down and replaced by rapid-growing and soil-depleting eucalyptus and pine trees.
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