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Area: 2,609 km2 (1,007 sq mi) (Municipality and Town)
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Calling Code: +244
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Currency: Kwanza (AOA)
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Population: Huambo Province: 1,896,147 (Huambo city: 665,574)
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Time Zone: West African Time (UTC +1)
Located about 600km South East of Luanda; Huambo (formerly known as Nova Lisbon - New Lisbon), (1928 - 1975), is the capital of the province of Huambo in Angola. The city was founded on the 8th of August, 1912 by Portuguese General José Mendes Norton de Matos and by the 1920s, became one of the main economic engines of Angola.
Huambo connects to the port of Lobito in the Atlantic Ocean, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia by the 1,344km Benguela railway (Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB)). The city was extensively damaged when it became the site of the battle between the government and Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) from independence (1975) until his death in February 2002. Before the war, the province was known for producing food, tobacco, clothing, leather, furniture, building materials and metal. The conflict led to massive loss of lives, halted imports and exports and destroyed about 90 percent of industry.
Huambo is emerging steadily after the 27-year civil war and mineral resources such as copper, iron ore, manganese and gold are attracting foreign investors to the province. The province is divided into eleven (11) municipalities - Huambo, Londuimbale, Bailundo, Mungo, Tchindjenje, Ucuma, Ekunha, Tchicala-Tcholoanga, Catchiungo, Longonjo and Caála. These municipalities are further sub-divided into 37 communes.