Lobito
Lobito
Cidade do Lobito | |
|---|---|
Municipality and city | |
| File:Lobito city.jpg | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Flamingos City | |
  Lobito Location in Angola | |
| Coordinates: 12°22′S 13°32′E / 12.367°S 13.533°E | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Province | Benguela Province |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,409 sq mi (3,648 km2) |
| Elevation | 456 ft (139 m) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 324,050 |
| • Density | 230/sq mi (89/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Climate | BWh |
Lobito is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola.[1] It is located on the Atlantic Coast north of Catumbela Estuary.
History
It dates from 1905 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela railway to the far interior, passing through Luau to Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The population is 324,050 (2014) in an area of 3,648 km². The municipality consists of the communes Canjala, Egipto Praia and Lobito.[2]
The city was founded on September 2, 1913 and holds an annual celebration for the occasion.
Portuguese rule
Lobito, was built on a sandspit and reclaimed land, with one of Africa's finest natural harbours, protected by a 5 km long sandspit. The old municipality (concelho) was created in 1843 by the Portuguese administration. The town was also founded in 1843 by order of Maria II of Portugal, and its harbour works were begun in 1903. Large developments, however, were not stimulated until the completion in 1928 of the important Benguela Railway, which connected Portuguese Angola with the Belgian Congo. Under Portuguese rule, the port was one of Angola's busiest, exporting agricultural produce from the interior and handling transit trade from the mines of southeastern Belgian Congo and of Northern Rhodesia. Fishing, tourism and services were also important. The carnival in Lobito was also one of the most renowned and popular in Portuguese Angola.[3] It wasn't until 1843 that Maria II of Portugal approved the birth of the town, which had by then been known as Catumbela das Ostras (Catumbela of Oysters)[4]
After independence from Portugal
After the April 25, 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, Angola was offered independence. Lobito's port activities were highly limited by disruptions to railway transit and high insecurity during the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002). With peace and stability, in the 2000s, Lobito started the process of reconstruction and resumed its path to development.
Climate
Lobito experiences a mild tropical semi-arid climate with few temperature extremes. The winters are extremely dry and warm, while summers are relatively wet and hotter.
| Climate data for Lobito | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.3 (91.9) |
28.9 (84.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.9 (93.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
26.1 (79.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) |
26.4 (79.5) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
25.0 (77.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
20.3 (68.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.3 (73.9) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.3 (77.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
21.6 (70.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
20.9 (69.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20.3 (0.80) |
38.1 (1.50) |
119.4 (4.70) |
53.3 (2.10) |
2.5 (0.10) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (0.05) |
2.5 (0.10) |
30.5 (1.20) |
25.4 (1.00) |
61.0 (2.40) |
354.0 (13.94) |
| Source: Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial[5] | |||||||||||||
Transportation
Lobito is the terminus of the Benguela Railway
Port
The Port of Lobito is located in Lobito Bay on a sandspit approximately 4.8 km long. The port is administered by the Empresa Portuaria do Lobito. The Port of Lobito handles 2,000,000 tonnes of cargo and 370 ships annually, and along with economic development in the Benguala region, port facilities are under expansion.[6]
Airports
Lobito does not have its own airport. The city is located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Catumbela Airport and 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Benguela Airport.[6]
International Relations
Lobito is twinned with:
Sintra, Portugal
References
- ^ "City councils of Angola". Statoids. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
- ^ Census 2014, preliminary results
- ^ LobitoAnosOuro.wmv, a film of the Lobito in Portuguese Angola, before independence from Portugal
- ^ "Lobito - A cidade dos flamingos" (in Portuguese). destinobenguela.com. Retrieved 22 Mar 2016.
- ^ "Lobito (Angola)" (PDF). Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ^ a b IHS Fairplay Ports & Terminals Guide. Berkshire, UK: IHS Global Limited. 2013. pp. 1-42–1-43. ISBN 9781906313562.