Angola

Angola is a country on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, bordered by Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The exclave of Cabinda lies to the north. It covers 1,246,700 km2 (481,400 sq mi), about twice the size of France.

Luanda is the capital and largest city. Portuguese is the official language, and Umbundu, Kimbundu and Kikongo are the most widely spoken local languages. Once the Bantu expansion had arrived, organized states existed by the 13th century, and from the 14th century the Kingdom of Kongo led them; to the south lay Ndongo and Matamba and the Ovimbundu kingdoms, and the Mbunda Kingdom lay in the east. Portuguese explorers reached Kongo in 1483, and the name Angola comes from ngola, the title of the kings of Ndongo and Matamba. In 1656 Portugal signed treaties with the Kingdom of Matamba and Ndongo under Queen Njinga. The Portuguese colony took its present borders only in the early 20th century, and Angola became independent on 11 November 1975 after a struggle that began in 1961.

The president holds executive power with a vice president and the Council of Ministers, and the National Assembly has 220 seats filled by party lists. Oil and diamonds have been the main resources since independence: the state firm Sonangol leads the oil industry, and Endiama mines diamonds with partners such as ALROSA. The country also has gold, copper and large forests, and before 1975 it exported bananas, coffee and sisal. Natural harbors at Luanda, Lobito, Moçâmedes and Tômbua serve its sea trade.

The Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Bakongo, Chokwe and Mbunda keep their own traditions and languages, while in the cities Bantu and Portuguese ways have blended into a shared urban culture, with African roots clear in its music and dance. Sarah Maldoror's film Sambizanga won the Tanit d'Or at the Carthage Film Festival in 1972. In 2014 the National Festival of Angolan Culture returned after 25 years, held for 20 days in every provincial capital. The basketball team has won the AfroBasket title many times, and Angola hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 after playing at the World Cup in 2006.