Lunda Norte (Angola)

Lunda Norte (English: North Lunda) is a province of Angola. It has an area of 103,760 km² and a population of 862,566. Angola's first President, Agostinho Neto, made Lucapa the provincial capital after independence, but the capital was later moved to Dundo. The province borders the Democratic Republic of Congo in the northeast and Lunda Sul in the south. The province is rich in gold and diamonds (Angola's second-largest revenue source after petroleum), but remains vastly underdeveloped and impoverished. UNITA used the money generated from the sale of diamonds to fund war efforts. Cuango River valley, the richest diamond area of Angola is located in the province. Mining is done by notable companies like DeBeers and ENDIAMA. The Lunda province whose capital was Saurimo was created by the Portuguese colonial empire on July 13, 1895. It was divided into Lunda-Sul and Lunda-Norte subdivisions through a constitution act in 1978 by the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) government. Iron and manganese mining are also important economic activities. The province is well known for its sculptures. The most notable among them is The Thinker (O Pensador), a sculpture of a man holding his head. Lunda Norte is rich in diversity of flora and fauna. Lunda Norte is populated by the Chokwe, the Lunda, and other ethnic groups. An ethnographic museum operates in the province. During the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) many civilians were killed in the clashes between National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). Diamond mining operations were also affected. Following the conclusion of the war, high schools were established for the first time in the province.