History
· Angola is named after the ngola, king of one of the Bantu dynasties established before the 13th century.
· During Portuguese colonisation in 1575 and 1900, three million slaves were deported to Brazil.
· Over 500,000 people have been killed, one million mutilated by land mines and four million made refugees in continuous civil war since Independence in 1975.
· In April 2002, amnesty between the MPLA Government and UNITA rebels was declared. Country
· At 1,246,700km2, Angola is nearly double the size of Texas. It includes Cabinda enclave, a coastal province north of the Congo River.
· A narrow 30-100km x 1600km coastal plain becomes desert south of Luanda.
· The high plateau (av. 1200m), which covers 60% of Angola, provides a watershed for the Congo, Zambezi and numerous smaller rivers. There are many rapids and several big hydroelectric schemes.
· Highest point is Morro de Moco (2620m).
· 43% forest, 23% savannah, 2% arable and 32% unusable land.
· Overgrazing, soil erosion, river silting, water pollution and deforestation are major environmental problems.

Climate
· Plateau mainly tropical with temperatures 24-29 °C; cooler at higher elevations. About 1450mm of rain falls annually (November-March). Periodic flooding.
· Rainfall and temperatures lower along coast. Atlantic breeze brings fog to coastal desert.

Fauna and flora
· Palms along northern coast and dense rainforests inland. Deciduous trees and savannah in central areas; thorn scrub towards the desert, which contains the rare tumboa (Welwitschia mirabilis) plant.
· Before the war escalated, good numbers of lion, leopard, Angolan giraffe, zebra, antelope, gorillas, chimps, Black rhino, large elephant and the distinctive black sable inhabited the country's 12 national parks. Hippos and crocs were numerous in most rivers and swamps.

The People
· Six ethnic groups. The Ovimbunda on the plateau (37%), the Kimbundu around Luanda (25%) and the Bakongo in the north (13%) are the largest. There are also a few Portuguese Angolans and people of mixed race.
· Each ethnic group has its own social structure and dialect, but Portuguese is the official and first language of most.
· About 47% follow traditional beliefs, 38% are Catholic and 15% are Protestant. Many combine tribal and Christian beliefs.

The Economy
· Thanks to the war, 60% unemployment, spiralling inflation and a severely battered economy, many Angolans are dependent on foreign aid for survival.
· Income from the exporting of crude oil (90% of foreign earnings), petroleum products, gas, diamonds and other products is spent on the military, essential medicines and foodstuffs.

Agriculture
· Over 80% of Angolans subsist on a staple diet based on sorghum, millet, rice or corn, grown practising shift cultivation.
· Once the world's fourth-biggest coffee producer, but yields (like those of sugar, bananas, cotton, cassava, palm oil and kernels) now barely meet local demand.
· Timber, some for export, is extracted from the rainforests and commercial forests.
· Cattle are reared in the tsetse-free highlands and semi-arid areas.

Fishing
· Plankton-rich waters provide some of the finest fishing grounds around Africa.
· Shellfish, carapan, corvina, shad, shark, saw- and swordfish are consumed locally. Mackerel, tuna and sardines are tinned, some for export.

Minerals
· Off Cabinda enclave large reserves of natural gas and oil (second in Africa only to Nigeria) yield 50% of GDP.
· Gypsum, limestone, salt, phosphates, copper, manganese, iron, feldspar, diamonds, bauxite, uranium and gold have also been mined and exported.

Other industries
· Some fish oil extraction. Stock feed and fertiliser are made from fishmeal.
· Production of consumer goods such as foodstuffs, beer, soap, clothing, cement, paper and pulp - mostly in small factories.
· Machinery, electrical equipment, vehicles, medicines, textiles, food and clothing are imported.

Luanda
· The capital. A dilapidated colonial town built for 30,000 people and now housing about 4 million, most of whom live in squalid shanties. There are a couple of museums, a sprawling market, an old fort and several beaches. Discos throb to local and Brazilian music.

Other towns
· Malange, the second city, and other towns are also overpopulated and run-down. Near Malange are a couple of waterfalls and Redras Negras (the Black Rocks).
· Benguela is a simple fishing village. Tombua and Namibe, largely unaffected by the war, have excellent beaches.

Cabinda Enclave
· A pleasant place to visit, but security can be a problem at night and in surrounding areas. Favoured for Primus (Kinshasa) beer and Congolese Kwasa-kwasa music.