The Malanje Province is located in the north of Angola, the provincial capital and largest town ofMalanje located 383 kilometres (238 mi) by road east of the national capital ofLuanda.[3] It is bordered to the northwest byUige Province, to the northeast by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the east byLunda Norte Province andLunda Sul Province, to the south byBié Province andCuanza Sul Province, and in the west byCuanza Norte Province. The extreme north of the province is covered with savannah, while the southern part is largely dry savannah. The main rivers are theCuanza River in the southwest andKwango River in the northeast, and there is a mountainous area known as the Malanje Plateau.[4]TheCuije River and Cuanza flow in the vicinity ofCangandala National Park.[5]Large areas north and southeast of the city of Malanje have been declared protected areas. Of note is theMilando Reserve Park (Reserva Especial do Milando) in the north and the Reserva Natural Integral do Luando at the headwaters of Cuanza.[3]
The province is predominantly agricultural. The most intensively used area in the province of Malanje is the area around the provincial capital, wherecotton and sugarcane are the most important industries. The cotton industry was once of vital importance to the national economy, but the years of theAngola Civil War have badly stagnated it. Agriculture in Malanje Province is gradually taking off again, and numerous international investors have been involved, including US$30 million from Brazil to develop the maize and sugarcane industry in the Pungo Andongo area.[7] Malanje Province is also a producer ofcassava,sweet potatoes,peanuts,rice,soybeans,sunflowers and various vegetables. The province also has significant reserves ofdiamonds,limestone,manganese (with 4,682 metric tons exported in 1973),[8]uranium andphosphate.
Tourism has become more important, largely due to its diverse natural attractions, including theKalandula Falls, the black rock formation ofPungo Andongo, two nature reserves and theCangandala National Park. Cangandala National Park, the smallest national park in the country,[5] was originally established underPortuguese rule in 1963 to protect theGiant Sable Antelope, before being declared a national park on 25 June 1970.
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