Angola 101

Let's start with a little geography, shall we?

• Angola is located in southwest Africa. Namibia is to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Congo are to the north, and Zambia is to the East.
• It is roughly twice the size of Texas.

I live in the capital, Luanda, along with 5 million other people. The city is crowded, dirty, and infamous for traffic jams.





Portugal





Background


• Angola was discovered by Portuguese explorers in 1482 and was a colony of that country until the war of independence in the 1960's. Angola gained independence in 1975.
• A 27-year civil war, which ended in 2001, came on the heels of independence
• Approximately 1.5 million people were killed and 4 million displaced due to the violence
• The country has been rebuilding over the past 10 years, but the remnants of war are still present
• Land mines in the rural areas, an abundance of weapons in the cities, and the destruction of farms and other forms of production are a result of the almost half century of fighting



Angola