Officially the Republic of Angola is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, Democratic Republic of Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east. The west border is more than 1000 miles along the Atlantic Ocean.
A plateau averaging 6,000 ft. above sea level rises abruptly from the coastal lowlands. The land is nearly all desert or savanna (grasslands) with some hardwood forests in the northeast. A high plateau in the south ranges from 4,000 to 7,000 feet. The highest point in Angola is Mount Moco (8,569 ft.) and Mount Navil (8,133 ft.).
Angola Highwayand Bread Tree
Brief History
Benguela, a Portuguese fort from 1587 became a town in 1617. The Portuguese established settlements, forts, and trading posts along the coastal strip of current-day Angola that relied on slave trade, commerce of raw materials and exchange of goods. European traders would export manufactured goods to the coast of Africa where they would be exchanged for slaves. Within the Portuguese Empire most black African slaves were traded to Portuguese merchants who bought them to sell as cheap labor for use on Brazilian plantations. This trade lasted until the first half of the 1800's.
Angola was a Portuguese territory from the 16th century to 1975. After independence, Angola was the scene of an intense civil war from 1975 to 2002. In August 2006, a peace treaty was signed with a faction of the FLEC, a separatist guerrilla group.
Size and Population
With an area of 481,321 square miles, Angola is the world's twenty-third largest country. It is more than three times the size of California and twice the size of the state of Texas. Population reported in July 2009 was 12,788,293. The birth rate is 43.6/1000 but the infant mortality rate is 180.2/1000! Live expectancy is only 38.2 years.
Luanda, the Capital City
Angola's capital, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic
coast in the north-west part of the country. Its population is
2,297,200. The capital city is surrounded by miles and miles of slums.
Hotels are limited
in Luanda and demand for rooms is high. Hotels are often booked months
in advance.
Traffic in Luanda is heavy and chaotic. There are
few traffic lights and drivers often fail to obey signals. There are
frequent breakdowns leaving stalled vehicles in the street. Itinerant
vendors, scooters and pedestrians often weave in and out of the
traffic. Most public transportation including buses and taxis should be
avoided because they are usually overcrowded
. Luanda Traffic Jam
Religion
Christianity is the major religion of Angola. Roman Catholics make up 72% of the Christian population and the remaining 28% are divided among Protestant groups. A small number of animists practice a native religion. The largest Protestant denominations include Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists and Assemblies of God. Foreign missionaries were very active before independence in 1975, although the Portuguese colonial authorities expelled many Protestant missionaries and closed mission stations. Missionaries have been able to return to the country since the early 1990's but conditions due to the civil war have prevented them from restoring many of their former inland mission stations. The Protestant denominations help the people by giving them crop seeds, farm animals, medical care and education.
Economy
Before independence in 1975, Angola was a major exporter of bananas, coffee and sisal but nearly three decades of civil war destroyed the fertile countryside and much of the infrastructure leaving the country littered with land mines. Angola's economy is on the rebound from the disarray caused by the civil war so that it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Natural resources include petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, bauxite, uranium, felspar, copper, gold and granite. Angola is the second-largest petroleum and diamond producer in the sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture products include coffee, bananas, corn, sugarcane, sisal, cotton, manioc, tobacco, vegetables and plantins. Live stock, forest products and fisheries a also a part of the economy. Nevertheless, poverty and corruption remain widespread. The organization called Anti-corruption Transparency International rated Angola as one of the 10 most corrupt countries in the world in 2005.
Infrastructure
Angola has three separate railway systems totaling less than 2,000 miles. Of the 47,613 miles of highway, 11,903 are paved. There are 1,295 miles of navigable inland waterways, eight major seaports and 243 airports of which 32 are paved.
Travel on highways outside of towns and cities is not advised for those without four wheel drive vehicles. Time and the war have taken their toll on the road surfaces leaving potholes, areas littered with broken asphalt and live landmines along the roadsides. Substantial efforts are being made to restore the highway systems and they could possibly be better than described here. However, the United States warns American to use caution when traveling in Angola. Ground travel can be dangerous due to land mines, frequent checkpoints and poor infrastructure in many places. Police and military officials are generally undisciplined. Before traveling to Angola, Americans are advised to contact the U.S. Department of State/Diplomacy in Action.
Medical Facilities and Health Information
Information of vaccinations and other help precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hotline for international travelers. For information about outbreaks of infectious disease abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Slow Mail with Love Letters from Africa Tell the Story
By: Gene B. Little
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