The province was once physically attached to the rest of Angola, but in 1885, the Belgian Congo extended its territory along the Congo River to the river's mouth at the sea, and Cabinda was isolated.
The province produces hardwoods, coffee, cacao, rubber, and palm oil products. Petroleum production began in 1968 and now accounts for most of Angola's production.
There is a liberation movement, the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), which has been sporadically active since Angola's independence in 1975.