DIVISIONS OF ANGOLA. 



The province of Angola taken in the wide sense includes the 

 whole of Portuguese or Lower Guinea in Tropical Africa, and lies 

 between 5° 12' and 17° 20' S. lat., extending from the shores of 

 the Atlantic Ocean into the interior of the continent to undefined 

 distances, which Welwitsch estimated as varying from 230 to 400 

 English miles. The northern portion or district of Cabinda, which 

 abuts on the coast between the rivers Caconda and Zaire, from 

 5° 12' to 6° 10' S. lat., was not visited by Welwitsch; in the 

 district of the Congo, between the rivers Zaire and Loge, from 

 6° 10' to 7° 50' S. lat., he explored the coast at and about Ambriz, 

 and his chief travels took place in Angola proper, which extends 

 along the coast between the rivers Loge and Cuanza, from 7° 50' 

 to 9° 20' S. lat. He also made extensive explorations in Benguella, 

 which in its wider sense extends along the coast between the rivers 

 Cuanza and Cunene, from 9° 20' to 17° 20' S. lat. 



Welwitsch established three phytographical regions of the 

 Angolan flora according to the limits of elevation : namely, the 

 coast region, ranging from sea-level up to 1000 ft., the mountain- 

 woodland region, from 1000 up to 2500 ft., and the highland 

 region, from 2500 ft. upwards. The coast region includes the 

 districts of Ambriz, Loanda, Icolo e Bengo, Barra do Bengo, 

 Barra do Dande, Libongo, Benguella proper, and Mossamedes; 

 the mountain-woodland region includes the districts of Cazengo, 

 Golungo Alto, Ambaca, Zenza do Golungo, and Bumbo ; and 

 the highland region includes Pungo Andongo and Huilla. 



The winter season, namely, from June to August, is marked 

 by the absence of rain; storms usually begin in the middle or 

 towards the end of September, the showery season extending to 

 the end of November or middle of December; and the beavy 

 rains occur in the autumn, that is, March and April. 



The mean temperature of the air in Pungo Andongo and 

 Huilla varies from 55° to 60° P., and in the less elevated districts 

 from 77° to 80° F., except in Mossamedes, which is much cooler, 

 and approaches the climate of the Cape of Good Hope. 



