Cabinda (city)
| Cabinda Tchiowa Cidade de Cabinda | ||
|---|---|---|
| Municipality and city | ||
| ||
  Cabinda Location in Angola | ||
| Coordinates: 5°33′36″S 12°11′24″E / 5.56000°S 12.19000°ECoordinates: 5°33′36″S 12°11′24″E / 5.56000°S 12.19000°E | ||
| Country |
 Angola | |
| Admin. division | Cabinda province | |
| Founded | 1883 | |
| City Status | 1956 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,823 km2 (704 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) | |
| Population (2009) | ||
| • Total | 377,931 | |
| • Density | 210/km2 (540/sq mi) | |
| Climate | Aw | |
Cabinda (local name: Tchiowa) is a city located in the Cabinda Province, an exclave of Angola. Angolan sovereignty over Cabinda is disputed by the secessionist Republic of Cabinda. The municipality of Cabinda contained 357,576 inhabitants in 2008. The residents of the city are known as Cabindas or Fiotes. Cabinda, due to its proximity to rich oil reserves, serves as one of Angola's main oil ports.[1][2]
History
The city was originally founded by the Portuguese as a harbour territory for the purposes of the slave trade. Currently, there are considerable offshore oil reserves nearby.
Geography
Cabinda is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the south of Cabinda Province, and sits on the right bank of the Bele River.[1] It is 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Moanda (DR Congo), 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Congo River estuary and 137 kilometres (85 mi) south of Pointe-Noire (Rep. Congo).[3]
Districts
The city of Cabinda is divided into three districts, or comuna:
- Cabinda, the city seat, with 88.6% of the population the city
- Malembo, with 3.1%
- Tando-Zinze, with 8.3%[4]
Language
Fiote, a Bantu language, is the primary language of the both the city and province of Cabinda.[2] Portuguese, the official language of Angola, is also spoken, though mostly as an administrative role. Since Cabinda was colonized relatively later (late nineteenth century) by Portugal compared to most of Angola, Portuguese isn't as widely spoken, though language speakers are rapidly growing in number.
Transport
In 2012, a proposed railway connection to the main Angolan system has to cross territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Cabinda". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- 1 2 "Cabinda" (in Portuguese). Luanda, Angola: Info-Angola. 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ↑ Google. "Cabinda (city)" (Map). Google Maps. Google.
- ↑ "Region 1: Cabinda". Postcode Query. 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
External links
- Profile of Cabinda Municipality (Portuguese)
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