Huambo

Huambo (wäm'bō) [key], formerly Nova Lisboa (nō'vu lēzhvō'u) [key], city (1983 est. pop. 203,000), W central Angola. The chief town of inland Angola, Huambo stands on a high plateau and serves as a road, rail, and air transport hub and as a commercial and shipping center for a rich agricultural region. Huambo exports grain, rice, hides, skins, and fruit. Milling and the production of lime are carried on in the city. Following independence in 1976, civil war devastated the city's economy; Huambo was a stronghold of the UNITA leader, Jonas Savimbi. Huambo was founded in 1912.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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