Provinces of Angola

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Updates: 

I showed Kwanza as an obsolete spelling of Cuanza, but it still seems to occur quite commonly. Probably that spelling (or misspelling) is reinforced by the Angolan currency unit, the kwanza.

Most maps place Bula Atumba and Pango Aluquém districts in Cuanza Norte province. Most current news reports, and many reference pages, place them both in Bengo province. I will assume that they were recently transferred from Cuanza Norte to Bengo, and the maps haven't caught up yet.

Jose Gavinha writes that the colonial name of Ondjiva, the capital of Cunene province, was Pereira d'Eça.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Number I-2 was published on 2002-05-21. It changes the spelling of one of the provinces of Angola from Zaïre to Zaire.

Country overview: 

In 1900, the area now known as Angola was Portuguese West Africa. By 1906, its boundaries were almost exactly the same as Angola's are today. Angola was an overseas province of Portugal until its independence on 1975-11-11.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Angola
2. Dutch: Angola, Republiek Angola (formal)
3. English: People's Republic of Angola (formal)
4. Finnish: Angola
5. French: Angola m
6. German: Angola n
7. Icelandic: Angóla
8. Italian: Angola
9. Norwegian: Angola, Republikken Angola (formal)
10. Portuguese: Angola, República f Popular de Angola n (formal)
11. Spanish: Angola, República f Popular de Angola f (formal)
12. Swedish: Angola

Origin of name: 

From N'gola, 16th century king

Primary subdivisions: 

Angola is divided into 18 províncias (provinces).

Further subdivisions:

See the City Councils of Angola page.

The provinces are divided into 159 city councils.

Territorial extent: 

Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of Angola by part of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Origins of names: 

1. Cabinda: From an ethnic group of the same name.
2. Luanda: From a native word luanda = tax. Shellfish caught there were sent as tribute to the king of Congo.
3. Namibe: From the Namib Desert (see also Namibia).
4. Zaire: From the Zaïre River, from Kikongo nzadi = river (see also Democratic Republic of Congo).

Change history: 

1. 1900: The provinces were Benguella, Kongo, Loanda, Lunda, and Mossamedes. According to the 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica , "Angola is divided into five districts: four on the coast, the fifth, Lunda, wholly inland, being the N.E. part of the province. ... The coast divisions of Angola are Congo on the N. (from the river Congo to the river Loje), ... Loanda [the 105 m. of coast, with its hinterland, between the mouths of the rivers Dande and Kwanza]; Benguella and Mossamedes to the south. Mossamedes is again divided into two portions--the coast region and the hinterland, known as Huilla."
2. 1950: The provinces were Benguela, Bié, Huíla, Congo (or Luanda), and Malange. The Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas, 1957 edition, lists the following divisions:

1. 1951: Name of country changed from Portuguese West Africa to Angola.
2. Between 1951 and 1967, Benguela was split into Benguela, Cuanza Sul, and Huambo; Bié was split into Bié-Cuando Cubango and Moxico; Huíla was split into Moçâmedes and Huíla; Congo was split into Cuanza Norte, Uíge and Zaire; and Malange was split into Lunda and Malange.
3. ~1971: Bié-Cuando Cubango province (capital Silva Pôrto) split into Bié and Cuando Cubango.
4. 1975-11-11: Angola changed from overseas province of Portugal to independent country.
5. ~1975: Huíla province (capital Sá da Bandeira) split into Cunene and Huíla.
6. ~1976: Name of capital of Zaïre province changed from São Salvador do Congo to M'banza Congo; name of capital of Cuanza Norte province changed from Vila Salazar to N'dalatando; name of capital of Bié province changed from Silva Pôrto to Bié.
7. ~1978: Lunda province (capital Saurimo) split into Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul; name of capital of Bié province changed from Bié to Kuito.
8. 1985: Name of Moçâmedes (province and capital) changed to Namibe; name of Malange province and city changed to Malanje; Luanda province (capital Luanda) split into Bengo and Luanda.
9. There have also been minor boundary changes.

Other names of subdivisions: 

1. Benguela: Benguella (obsolete)
2. Cuanza Norte: Cuanza-Nord (French); Kwanza Norte (obsolete)
3. Cuanza Sul: Cuanza-Sud (French); Kwanza Sul (obsolete)
4. Luanda: Loanda (obsolete)
5. Malanje: Malange (variant)
6. Namibe: Moçâmedes, Mossamedes (obsolete)