VegetableSea

Quite apart from its oil wealth, Cabinda has one of the largest primal rainforests in Africa

Even before oil was discovered in Cabinda, Portuguese traders and colonialists referred to the area as Porto Rico, or "the Rich Port", because of its wealth of natural resources. Cabinda was fertile, its vast rainforest could supply rare tropical hardwoods, and the area was rich in gold, diamonds, uranium and phosphates.

Cabinda was also called Porto Rico because it was one of the main slave trading ports on Africa's Atlantic coast. It was a perfect base from which Portuguese and other European traders could access lucrative markets deep in the interior of the continent.

Post-slaves and pre-oil, Cabinda's economy was based on coffee, cocoa and timber. Coffee and cocoa are still produced in small quantities, as are other agricultural products. If military insecurity could be reduced, and if more investment was forthcoming, Cabinda could feed not only itself but also supply fresh produce to the Cabgoc oil complex at Malongo.

However, Cabindan farmers lack the financial support to rehabilitate their farms and plantations. According to recent figures issued by the Cabinda branch of Angola's National Coffee Institute, 150 tons of coffee were produced in 2001, way below the estimated production figure of 500 tons. Mismanagement and war damage were cited as reasons for the poor harvest.

Cabinda's most impressive natural resource is the Maiombe rainforest, described by locals as "the vegetable sea" due to its impenetrable canopy of luxuriant green vegetation. The forest covers an enormous area, twice the size of some small African countries. Maiombe is often described as "the Amazon of Africa", hosting a remarkable variety of plant and animal species.

Maiombe is especially famous for its butterflies. There are hundreds of species in the forest, many unique to the area. Prized by collectors, specimens of these butterflies can be found in natural history museums throughout the world.

What is most beautiful about Maiombe is that the forest grows right down to the sea, with enormous trees bending into the water, waves lapping the greenery as gorillas and chimpanzees whoop from the high branches. Local children swing out from the forest on huge lianas, leaping off into the blue sea.

However, Maiombe is not just an amazing paradise of animals, birds, insects and vegetation. It also has enormous potential as a supplier of tropical hardwoods. There are many precious woods in the forest, including ebony and rare varieties of mahogany. According to official estimates, the forest supplies over 200,000 meters of timber a year for Angola's construction industry.

Concern has been expressed, that without proper care, Maiombe could fall prey to the same type of environmental degradation that has affected parts of the Amazon. Yet it is inevitable with a country at Angola's stage of development that environmental concerns play second fiddle to pressing economic needs.

If Cabinda is to diversify its economy and become less dependent on oil, it will need significant investment. As former Governor Amaro Tati says, "Some people believe that the only sector worth investing in is oil in Cabinda. But this is not true. We have timber resources and other construction materials. We also have fertile land. Cabinda has so much untapped wealth that it resembles an uncut diamond."

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