Angola

Officially the Republic of Angola, Angola is a notable country on Southern Africa’s west-central coast. The second-largest Portuguese-speaking country in both area and population, this huge nation also ranks seventh among all the countries in Africa. Its borders on Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the vast Atlantic Ocean to the west define its strategic location. Angolan geography is distinct in that Cabinda, an exclave province with borders both of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. Luanda, the capital and most populated city of this country, is the center of political, economic, and cultural life of Angola.

With human habitation stretching thousands of years, Angola’s rich tapestry of history begins in the Paleolithic Age. But the great Kingdom of Kongo, which became a major player in the 14th century, lays the foundation for Angola as a nation-state. Along with several other Kikongo-speaking kingdoms, this one prospered and grew in influence over the area. Engagement in the Atlantic slave trade with the Portuguese Empire, a relationship that brought great wealth and power to the kingdom, helped the Kingdom of Kongo become rather well-known.

When the first Portuguese explorers came into touch with Kongo in 1483, their complicated and sometimes turbulent relationship began. Portuguese immigrants started coastal towns and trading stations over time, laying the foundation for what would finally be the colony of Angola. Still, the road to modern Angola was not clear-cut; the 19th century brought major difficulties and transformations.

The Kingdom of Kongo’s economy suffered greatly when the slave trade was outlawed in the 19th century; it had grown mostly dependent on this cruel activity. This economic disturbance matched the growing presence of European immigrants in the nation’s interior. Strong opposition from native groups including the Cuamato, the Kwanyama, and the Mbunda defined the process by which the Portuguese colony that would become modern-day Angola attained its present borders early in the 20th century.

For Angola, the 20th century presented fresh problems and strife. From 1961 to 1974, a protracted anti-colonial struggle raged, ending in Angola’s independence in 1975. The delight of freedom, however, was fleeting as the nation rapidly plunged into a terrible civil war. Supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba, this struggle set the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), an originally Maoist group that subsequently turned anti-communist and attracted backing from the United States and South Africa. Supported by Zaire, a third faction—the National Liberation Front of Angola—also sought control. For decades, this multi-sided conflict tore across Angola, leaving severe scars on its people and landscape.

When the civil war at last ended in 2002, Angola entered a new chapter. Working to rebuild and grow following years of strife, the nation has become rather a stable constitutional republic since then. With enormous mineral and petroleum reserves fueling one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide, Angola today is a nation of great promise. But this economic development has been marked by extreme inequality, with much of the wealth in the country held by a tiny fraction of people.

Globally, Angola has developed close economic relationships with major nations. Playing major roles in Angola’s post-war economic development, China, the European Union, and the United States have become the top investment and trade partners. Many Angolans still struggle greatly in their daily lives notwithstanding these economic gains. With life expectancy among the lowest in the world and infant mortality among the highest, the nation struggles with a poor quality of living for much of its population.

Angola has had changes in its political scene recently. Under President João Lourenço, the government undervelled mostly in combating corruption since 2017. Many former officials from the previous government have been prosecuted under this anti-corruption campaign; many more are either awaiting trial or are incarcerated. Although some critics see the actions as politically motivated, stressing the complicated character of Angola’s continuous political change, foreign officials have acknowledged these efforts as legitimate.

Angola’s participation in several important organizations defines its international profile. The nation actively supports world events and is a UN member. It is also included into the African Union, supporting continental projects and unity. While its involvement in the Southern African Development Community strengthens its regional ties, Angola’s Portuguese past is shown in its membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

With an estimated 37.2 million people as of 2023, Angola is a varied and rising country. Because of centuries of history and cultural interaction, this population reflects the multicultural and multiethnic character of the nation. Angolan culture is a rich mix of Portuguese influence, clearly shown in the predominance of the Portuguese language and the Catholic Church, entwined with a range of indigenous customs and practices.

Angola’s varied ethnic groups—including the Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Bakongo, Chokwe, and Mbunda peoples—help to define its cultural scene. To varied degrees, each of these groups preserves its own cultural characteristics, customs, and languages, so adding to the mosaic that is the country. But in metropolitan areas, where somewhat more than half of the population now lives, mixed culture has been developing since colonial times. This is especially clear in Luanda, a cultural melting pot from its founding in the sixteenth century.