Quiçama National Park
Encyclopedia
Quiçama National Park, also known as Kissama National Park (Portuguese
: Parque Nacional do Quiçama or Parque Nacional da Quissama), is a national park
in northwestern Angola
.
It is the only functioning national park in all of Angola, with the others being in disrepair due to the Angolan Civil War
.
The park is approximately 70 km from Luanda
, the Angolan capital. The park covers 3 million acres (12,000 km²), more than twice the size of the U.S.
state of Rhode Island
.
The Portuguese name Quiçama is spelled in English and other languages as Kissama, Kisama or Quicama. The spelling Kissama in English is the closest to the Portuguese phonetic
.
in 1938. In January 1957, it was proclaimed a national park by the Portuguese administration of the Overseas Province of Angola.
The park once was home to an abundance of large game animals such as elephant
s and Giant Sable
, but after wide-scale poaching during 25 years of civil war
, the animal population was virtually eliminated.
In 2001, the Kissama Foundation, a group of Angolans and South Africa
ns, initiated 'Operation Noah's Ark' to transport animals, especially elephants, from neighbouring Botswana
and South Africa. These animals, who were from overpopulated parks in their home countries, adapted well to the move. Noah's Ark was the largest animal transplant of its kind in history and has given the park momentum to be restored to its natural state.
's coast. The Cuanza River
forms the northern boundary, while the Longa River
constitutes the southern border.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Parque Nacional do Quiçama or Parque Nacional da Quissama), is a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in northwestern Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
It is the only functioning national park in all of Angola, with the others being in disrepair due to the Angolan Civil War
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
.
The park is approximately 70 km from Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, the Angolan capital. The park covers 3 million acres (12,000 km²), more than twice the size of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
The Portuguese name Quiçama is spelled in English and other languages as Kissama, Kisama or Quicama. The spelling Kissama in English is the closest to the Portuguese phonetic
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
.
History
What is now Quiçama National Park was formed as a game reserveGame reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
in 1938. In January 1957, it was proclaimed a national park by the Portuguese administration of the Overseas Province of Angola.
The park once was home to an abundance of large game animals such as elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s and Giant Sable
Giant Sable Antelope
The Giant Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger variani, also known in Portuguese as the Palanca Negra Gigante, is a large, rare subspecies of Sable Antelope native and endemic to the region between Cuango and Luando Rivers in Angola....
, but after wide-scale poaching during 25 years of civil war
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
, the animal population was virtually eliminated.
In 2001, the Kissama Foundation, a group of Angolans and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
ns, initiated 'Operation Noah's Ark' to transport animals, especially elephants, from neighbouring Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
and South Africa. These animals, who were from overpopulated parks in their home countries, adapted well to the move. Noah's Ark was the largest animal transplant of its kind in history and has given the park momentum to be restored to its natural state.
Attributes of the park
The park is bordered on the west by 120 km of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
's coast. The Cuanza River
Cuanza River
The Cuanza River is a river in Angola. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean just south of the nation's capital, Luanda....
forms the northern boundary, while the Longa River
Longa
Longa can refer to any of the following:* The longa is a musical note twice as long in duration as a breve, appearing primarily in Early music.*Longa, a genre in Turkish and Arabic music* Longa is the name of a town and river in Angola....
constitutes the southern border.