Uíge
Provincial capital in Angola
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uíge
Wizidi Carmona | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
Main street in Uíge | |
  Uíge Location in Angola | |
| Coordinates: 7°37′S 15°03′E | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Province | Uíge Province |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,188 km2 (459 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 858 m (2,815 ft) |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
• Total | 773,099 |
| • Density | 650.8/km2 (1,685/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Climate | Aw |
Uíge (Kongo: Wizidi or Wizi[2]), formerly Carmona, is a provincial capital city in northwestern Angola, with a population of 322,531 (2014 census),[3] and a municipality, with a population of 773,099 (2024 census)[4], located in the province of the same name. It grew from a small market centre in 1945 to become a city in 1956. It is served by the Uíge Airport with daily flights to Luanda.
Name
Uíge was renamed[5] Vila Marechal Carmona in 1955 after the former Portuguese President Óscar Carmona, renamed simply Carmona after it became a city. The name was changed back to Uíge after independence in 1975.
History
During Portuguese rule it became a major centre for coffee production in the 1950s.[6] The city was the nerve centre of rebel activity against Portuguese occupation. Consequently, the city endured frequent guerrilla war between Portuguese forces and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola; FNLA).[7]
It had the worst known ever outbreak of the Marburg virus in 2005.[citation needed]
On February 10, 2017, there was a stampede at the 4 January Stadium in Uige, Angola. The incident caused the deaths of 17 people and injured 58 others.[8]
Demographics
In 2010 it had a population of 119,815.[citation needed] In 2014 the population was 322,531. Projected to be the fourth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.92% growth.[9]
