Luanda, Angola’s capital and biggest city, is the country’s most populated and vital metropolis, as well as its principal port and major industrial, cultural, and urban center.
Luanda is Angola’s main seaport and administrative center, located on the country’s Atlantic Ocean coast.
It has a population of nearly 6 million people in the metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Luanda, as well as the world’s third most populous Portuguese-speaking city, behind So Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, both in Brazil, and the world’s most populated Portuguese-speaking capital city, ahead of Braslia, Maputo, and Lisbon.
The city is now undergoing a massive redevelopment, with several huge projects underway that will substantially change the cityscape.
Luanda – Info Card
POPULATION : | City: 2,825,311 / Metro: 6,542,942 |
FOUNDED : | 1576 |
TIME ZONE : | +1 |
LANGUAGE : | Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages |
RELIGION : | Indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% |
AREA : | 113 km2 (44 sq mi) |
ELEVATION : | 6 m (20 ft) |
COORDINATES : | 8°50′18″S 13°14′4″E |
SEX RATIO : | • Male: 49.58% • Female:50.42% |
ETHNIC : | Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22% |
Climate of Luanda
Luanda’s climate is moderate and semi-arid.
Due to the chilly Benguela Current, which prevents precipitation from rapidly condensing into rain, the climate is moderate to hot yet unexpectedly dry. Even during the entirely dry months of June to October, frequent fog keeps temperatures from lowering at night.
Economy of Luanda
Luanda is home to almost one-third of Angolans, with 53% of the population living in poverty. For the most part, living conditions in Luanda remain poor, with critical amenities like as potable drinking water and electricity still in limited supply, as well as significant traffic congestion. Luxury buildings for the advantage of the rich few, on the other hand, are growing. Luanda is one of the most costly cities in the world for international residents.
Processed foods, drinks, textiles, cement and other construction materials, plastics, metalware, cigarettes, and shoes/clothing are all examples of manufacturing. The city refines petroleum (discovered in neighboring off-shore resources), however the plant was frequently destroyed during the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002).
Luanda has a great natural harbor, and coffee, cotton, sugar, diamonds, iron, and salt are the main exports. The city also boasts a strong construction sector, which is a result of the countrywide economic boom that began in 2002 when the civil war ended and governmental stability was restored.