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Lobito
Lobito
Municipality
	Flag Seal
	Lobito Location in Angola
	Coordinates: 12°21′0″S 13°32′47″E / 12.35000°S 13.54639°E
Country	Angola
Province	Benguela Province
Incorporated	1843
Area
• Municipality	554 km2 (214 sq mi)
Elevation	139 m (456 ft)
Population (2014 Census)
• Municipality	393,079
• Density	710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
• Urban	357,950
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Climate	BWh

Lobito is a municipality in Angola. It is located in Benguela Province, on the Atlantic Coast north of the Catumbela Estuary. The Lobito municipality had a population of 393,079 in 2014.^[1]

History

Coat of arms of Lobito during the Portuguese colonial period.

The city was founded in 1843 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.^[3] The city is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the municipality is 393,079 (2014) in an area of 3,648 km².^[4] The municipality consists of the communes Canjala, Egipto Praia and Lobito.

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.

It wasn't until 1843 that Maria II of Portugal approved the foundation of the town, which had by then been known as Catumbela das Ostras (Catumbela of Oysters)^[5]

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, and the busiest of Africa, 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.^[6]

Post-independence

After the 25 April 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 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^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[8]

International relations

Lobito is twinned with:

Sintra, Portugal
Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

Notable People

António Tavares (born 1960) - author and journalist

References

^ ^a ^b "Resultados Definitivos Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação – 2014 Província de Benguela" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estatística, República de Angola. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
^ Citypopulation.de Archived 2021-03-08 at the Wayback Machine Population of the major cities in Angola
^ W. Martin James, Historical Dictionary of Angola, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 208
^ Census 2014 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, preliminary results
^ "Lobito - A cidade dos flamingos" (in Portuguese). destinobenguela.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
^ LobitoAnosOuro.wmv Archived 2021-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, a film of the Lobito in Portuguese Angola, before independence from Portugal
^ "Lobito (Angola)" (PDF). Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b IHS Fairplay Ports & Terminals Guide. Berkshire, UK: IHS Global Limited. 2013. pp. 1-42 – 1-43. ISBN 9781906313562.