Дополнительная информация: Lobito is a city in the north of Benguela province on the Atlantic coast . With 200,000 inhabitants it is the third city of Angola in terms of population. It is also the starting point of the Benguela railway that streaches far into the African continent. Although the city was founded in 1843 by order of Maria II of Portugal, its development ocurred with the construction of the railway. In november 1902, Teixeira de Sousa, head of the portuguese government, granted Sir Robert Williams the works contract to build and run for 99 years thge railway that would connect Lobito to Higlands. The construction of the railway started in 1903. Harbor works started in the meantime, in connection with the railway. The five kilometers long natural sandspit in the area provided the ideal place for a safe port. The railway only connected Belgian Congo in 1928. The same year the harbor was completed. Lobito administratively became a city in 1948. Nowadays it is the second harbor of Angola for freight. The town has clearly had a prosperous past as streets are lined with large colonial mansion houses, and Art Deco cinemas, bars and cafes. There are many places of historical and cultural interest around Lobito like the Palacio do Governo built in an old colonial style architecture or the Igreja da Nassa Senhora da Arrabida church from the 17th century.
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