Chimbondo is situated at the source of the river Cubango, the third largest river in Angola. The soil is fertile and the temperature mild.


The vegetation in the plateau is predominantly savanna with patches of denser bush where the Mulembas, Girassonde, Loengueiros tower above the acacias, madioqueiras and a variety of bissapas (small bushes). The Angolans call it Anhara or Chana.


The African jungle offers to the experienced person an abundant variety of fruits, capable alone to support life. The most abundant are the loengos and lochas. Both fruits of a large tree, slightly smaller than prunes and very tasty.


The maboques, a fruit very much like a large orange but with a skin hard as a coconut that when cracked exposed a succulent core with multiple stones. The lomuinhos, lombulas, catetombulas, vingonguilas and matunduas are some of the riches of the African jungle, supporting a large population of birds, and rodents, the first link in a complex food chain of the Angolan ecosystem.


The plateau is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers and creeks, teeming with fish. Bagres (cat fish), 40 kilograms or larger are an important source of proteins for some of the tribes. Tilapias, tiger fish, cungas and tuqueia are some of the fishes that populate the Angolan rivers. Unfortunately all rivers in Angola are also populated by crocodiles and accidents are not uncommon.


In the central plateau all types of antelopes can be found as well as large predators like lions and leopards. Elephants, rhinoceros, giraffes are not seen in the central plateau but further south in the Cunene and Cuando Cubango regions.







Anhara in Mavinga southeast of Angola

Wildebeests (Guelengues) in the south east of Angola - Mavinga

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