Uíge

Coordinates: 7°37′S 15°03′E / 7.617°S 15.050°E / -7.617; 15.050

Uíge (1955-75 Carmona) is a provincial capital city in northwestern Angola located in the province of the same name. It grew from a small market centre in 1945 to becoming a city in 1956.

Name

Uíge was renamedVila Marechal Carmona in 1955 after the former Portuguese President Óscar Carmona, renamed simply Carmona after it became a city, but changed back to Uíge in 1975.

History

During Portuguese occupation it was a major center for coffee production in the 1950s. The city was the nerve center of rebel activity against Portuguese occupation. Consequently, the city faced frequent guerrilla war between Portuguese forces and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola; FNLA). It had the worst known ever outbreak of the Marburg virus in 2005.

Demographics

As of 2010 it had a population of 119,815.

References

Uíge Province

Uíge (pronounced: "Weej"), one of the eighteen Provinces of Angola, is located in the northwestern part of the country. Its capital city is of the same name. Municipalities within the province include Alto Cauale, Ambuila, Bembe, Buengas, Bungo, Damba, Macocola, Milunga, Mucaba, Negage, Puri, Quimbele, Quitexe, Sanza Pombo, Songo, Uíge, and Zombo.

Uige Province was one of the hardest-hit areas of Angola during the 26-year-long civil war. Large segments of the population were displaced, and the infrastructure was severely damaged.

Beginning in October 2004 and continuing into 2005, Uige Province was the centre of an outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a disease closely related to Ebola. It was caused by Marburg virus which is an African RNA virus that causes green monkey disease. Now thought to be under control, there were 374 cases with 88% deaths. According to the United Nations, it was, at the time, the world's worst epidemic of any kind of hemorrhagic fever.

History