Lunda Norte Province

Lunda Norte anchors Angola's diamond industry—third largest in Africa after Botswana and Congo—in territory where artisanal mining coexists with industrial operations. Only 40% of diamond-rich land has been explored, suggesting reserves that could sustain extraction for decades. The Catoca mine, one of the world's largest kimberlite pipes, processes millions of carats annually.

Diamonds created different development patterns than oil. Mining requires labor presence that oil platforms do not; diamond extraction builds towns and infrastructure in remote northeastern provinces. Yet the industry also attracted conflict during the civil war, with UNITA rebels using diamond sales to fund military operations. The Kimberley Process certification exists partly because of Angolan 'blood diamonds.'

Post-war reconstruction and the 2023 opening of the Luele mine (majority-owned by state company Endiama) signal government commitment to diamond sector development. Unlike oil's offshore isolation, diamond mining creates onshore employment and infrastructure that could anchor genuine diversification. Lunda Norte's future depends on whether extraction wealth translates into provincial development—roads, schools, healthcare—or follows oil's pattern of revenue flowing to Luanda while mining communities remain impoverished.