Category: Angola

The Angola was a Portuguese colony in Africa until 1975, when it gained its independence. He spent much of the following years in civil war. As of 2002, it entered a period with relative stability and, in 2010, a new constitution was established. Currently undergoing a period of national reconstruction. The capital is Luanda and the official language is Portuguese (in some places Bantu is spoken). The total population of the country is 19 million residents (2013). Since some century BC, the territory, which today is Angola, was inhabited by farmers. In the 15th century, the region was dominated by several kingdoms, including that of Congo in the north, the largest among them. Portuguese navigators arrived at the northwest coast of Angola in 1483 and established diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Congo. Subsequently, the King of Congo converted to Christianity and adopted some of the Portuguese customs. In 1575, Portugal established a colony in Luanda. In the following years, the Portuguese expanded their dominance in the region and came to dominate the entire west coast of Africa. Until the 19th century, about three million Angolans were sent as slaves to Brazil. Angola has beautiful beaches, on its 1,650km of coastline, and beautiful scenery. There are several national parks, such as Quissama, Kwando, Cangandala, Kameia, Mupa, Iona and Bicuar. In these parks, large animals can be observed, such as lions, elephants, antelopes, leopards, gorillas, wildebeests, ostriches, hippos and zebras. The country receives more than four million visitors annually. The country has shown high growth rates in recent years. Angola is a major oil producer, member of OPEC, and exporter of diamonds.