Icolo e Bengo | |
|---|---|
 Agostinho Neto Cultural Center inCatete | |
.svg) | |
| Coordinates:9°30′S13°30′E / 9.5°S 13.5°E /-9.5; 13.5 | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Established | 5 September 2024 |
| Capital | Catete |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Auzílio de Oliveira Martins Jacob (MPLA) |
| • Vice-Governor for Political, Social and Economic Sector | Agostinho Pedro Antonio |
| • Vice-Governor for Technical Services and Infrastructure | Zenilda Leila do Amaral Manding |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Icolo e Bengo is aprovince ofAngola. It was created on 5 September 2024 fromLuanda Province. Its capital isCatete.[1]
Icolo e Bengo borders the Angolan provinces ofLuanda to the northwest,Bengo to the north,Cuanza Norte to the east, andCuanza Sul to the south. It also borders theAtlantic Ocean to the west. The boundary between Icolo e Bengo and Luanda follows theCuanza River, theKikuxi Canal, and theVia Expressa Fidel Castro [pt] andEN-100 highways.[2]
Icolo e Bengo is located on the floodplains of theBengo, Cuanza andLonga rivers. The province is located in theAngolan Scarp savanna and woodlands ecoregion, and it containsQuiçama National Park.[3]
Icolo e Bengo experiences atropical climate with summer rain. The interaction between the coldBenguela Current and warm equatorial waters produces mist, causing humidity in the area to stay high year-round while annual rainfall is low, ranging from 350 to 650 mm (14 to 26 in).[3][4]
On 14 August 2024, Angola'sNational Assembly approved a law to create three new provinces, including separating the less urbanized portions of Luanda Province from the city ofLuanda to form the new province of Icolo e Bengo. This law went into effect with its publication in the official gazette of Angola on 5 September 2024.[5]
Icolo e Bengo is divided into the sevenmunicipalities ofBom Jesus,Cabiri,Cabo Ledo,Calumbo, Catete,Quiçama, andSequele. Catete is further subdivided into thecommunes ofCaculo Cahango,Cassoneca, Catete, andCaxicane; Quiçama is subdivided into the communes ofDemba Chio,Mumbondo,Muxima, andQuixinge; and Sequele is subdivided into the communes ofFunda,Quifangondo, and Sequele.[5]
The first governor of Icolo e Bengo is Auzílio de Oliveira Jacob, who was appointed in December 2024.[6]
In contrast to the economy of Luanda, which is more oriented towards theservice sector, Icolo e Bengo's economy is expected to focus more on agriculture and industry.[7]
Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is located in Icolo e Bengo.[8] TheEN-230 [pt] highway and theLuanda Railway also run east to west across the northern part of the province.
At the time of its establishment, Icolo e Bengo had three hospitals: one was in the capital of Catete, and two others had been recently constructed inZango and Sequele.[8]
