Kwango River
| Kwango River | |
| Rio Cuango | |
 Tazua Falls on Cuango River in Angola
|
|
| Countries | Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo |
|---|---|
| Part of | Cuango |
| Source | Alto Chicapa |
| - elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
| Mouth | At Bandundu into Kasai River in Congo River basin |
| - coordinates | 3°14.666′S 17°22.416′E / 3.244433°S 17.373600°ECoordinates: 3°14.666′S 17°22.416′E / 3.244433°S 17.373600°E |
| Length | 1,100 mi (1,770 km) |
| Basin | 101,700 sq mi (263,400 km2) |
 NASA Satellite map showing Kwango River entering Kasai River
|
|
The Cuango or Kwango (Portuguese: Rio Cuango) is a transboundary river of Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the largest left bank tributary of the Kasai River in the Congo River basin. It flows through Malanje town in Angola. The Kwango River basin has large resources of diamonds in the Chitamba-Lulo Kimberlite Cluster in Lunda Norte Province, discovered in the main river channel and on flats and terraces in its flood plains.
The Rund Kingdom, which expanded to become the Lund Empire, encompassed territory stretching from Kwango River to the Laupala. Its rulers pursued slavery trade. Lunda expansion in the valley promoted a common political and cultural heritage while also promoting slave trading, accounting for the low population densities between the Kwango and Kwilu rivers.
The Portuguese colonized the Kwango River valley and replaced the Kingdom of Kasanje. The Kwango River was subject to a Portuguese treaty signing in Lisbon on May 25, 1891 and the Declaration of March 24, 1894.
Cuango town, situated in Lunda Norte Province within the Cuango River valley, is considered to be “in the diamond heartland of northeastern Angola”, the richest diamond area in Angola. This town played an important role during the civil war as both Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) and government forces attempted to seize and hold the city. UNITA surrendered the town to the government on 30 September 1997 as part of the .
The Cuango originates in the highlands of Alto Chicapa in the Angolan province of Lunda Sul, and flows south-north-west, crossing the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and joining the Kasai River near the town of Bandundo. Thereafter, it empties into the Congo River. Rising in the Lunda plateau, the river forms a deep valley.
...
Wikipedia