The former colony of Portugal, and now a free country, Angola for a long time could not achieve its own independence. Only in 1975 did it cease to be a colony and achieved today's status. Now Angola is a country in Africa located in the southern part of the mainland, not far from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its location at once in two latitudes (subequatorial and tropical) has led to the fact that Angola is a country divided immediately into two climatic zones.
History reference
To correctly understand what country Angola is in the past and now, you need to delve into its history. As archaeological finds show, the first people in this area settled back in the Neolithic era. These were the ancestors of the still existing Bushman tribes. Gradually, the first state formation was formed here, which was called the Congo in the 13th century (over the next years it periodically changed). It existed until the XIX century and was considered one of the most developed states in this part of the world.
However, it cannot be denied that the colonial period of history exerted the greatest influence on the formation of Angola. The first expeditions of the Portuguese landed off its shores at the end of the 15th century. In 1484, the first contract was concluded between the ruler of the country - manikongo and the leader of the expedition Diogu Kan. Gradually, relations between the two countries strengthened, but only at the highest level. The indigenous population periodically tried to oust the foreigners; several revolts took place in different years.
Relations between Ndongo and Portugal finally deteriorated only in the 17th century. Queen Anna formed an alliance with the Netherlands and for three decades the country gained independence, preventing the Portuguese from penetrating deep into the territory. However, Portugal was able to seize the initiative in the war and subjugate the rebellious colony.
By the middle of the 18th century, Ndongo became the place from where the Portuguese drove their slaves. It was the slave trade, which, by order of the king, became legal, led to a significant enrichment of the colonialists. Such a policy led to the enormous damage that was caused to the country's natural economy, so by the thirties of the 19th century the slave trade was banned.
At the Berlin Conference of 1884, when European countries divided the colonies of Africa among themselves, the current borders of the country were determined. In Angola, the Portuguese continued their attempts to delve into the internal lands, but the constant unrest of the Africans, which, although ruthlessly suppressed, helped to detain the colonialists. In 1910, monarchical power in Portugal fell, but at the same time the exploitation of the colony became even more powerful. Oppression continued until the 1960s, when several movements began to actively act at once, the purpose of which was to gain independence. However, the country finally became independent only after 1975, when an agreement was signed between the new government of Portugal and the leaders of the movements.
On the basis of this agreement, the creation of a completely new state, the independent People’s Republic of Angola, under the presidency of A. Neto, was first proclaimed.
Population
At the time of the last census in 2005, 25 million people are the official population of the country. In Angola, there is a big problem with child mortality and short life expectancy. Adults generally do not live longer than 37 years. In addition, population density is one of the highest: 20.69 people per square kilometer.
This is a multi-ethnic country. In Angola, the population is very diverse, with more than 110 ethnic groups living there. Almost the entire population belongs to one language family - the Bantu, which, in turn, is divided into many different groups. In addition to the Bantu, Bushmen and Twa Pygmies have a lot of weight. From Europeans, only about 1% of the inhabitants remained here.
Religion
Almost half of the country's population is Christians: the Catholic and Protestant branches of religion predominate. However, this does not prevent a large number of indigenous people from adhering to the traditional cults and beliefs of Africa, such as the cult of ancestors, animalism. The number of sects is amazing: over 90 entities are officially registered.
The authorities of Angola, although not officially prohibiting the practice of Islam, however, there is a law adopted by the president on the closure of all mosques in the country.
Political system
The country of Angola is a republic led by a president, elected every 5 years. At the moment, the head of state is Juan Lawrence, who has been performing his duties since 2017. It is he who forms the Government.
The unicameral parliament or the National Assembly, consisting of 220 deputies elected by direct secret ballot for 4 years, acts as the legislative body.
The territorial structure is administrative. The entire state is divided into 18 provinces. Each of them delegates five of their deputies to parliament, all the rest are elected according to a national list.
The judiciary is also separate and is represented by military tribunals, local and provincial civil and criminal courts, and there are also Arbitration and Supreme Courts.
Foreign policy
Angola is a country with particularities in the manner in which foreign policy is implemented. Despite good relations with the Russian Federation, which were started back in 1975 and joining the UN a year later, the authorities practice a non-aligned policy.
In addition to Russia, Angola maintains close diplomatic relations with the United States, especially in terms of oil and diamond imports. A similar dichotomy was formed during the years of the civil war, when the United States and Russia sided with two different groups. The war lasted for 27 years, which led to the strengthening of relations between the two trading associates.
State symbols
Like any state, Angola has its own official symbols. The flag is a rectangular two-color canvas with horizontal stripes of red and black. A machete is depicted in the very center, and next to it is a five-pointed star and half of a cogwheel.
The emblem also has a machete, a star and a half wheel, however, in addition to this, you can see a book and a hoe. The official motto of the country: "Unity provides strength", and the anthem - "Go Angola."
The official language of Angola is Portuguese, but African dialects of Bantu, Mbunda, Chokwe, etc. are also widespread.
Economy
The economy of Angola is based on its oil fields. The export of oil and diamonds has led to the fact that the country is the fastest growing of all that are located in southern Africa. New plants are constantly being built, and recently the country began to export liquefied natural gas.
However, most of the population of Angola is still engaged in agricultural activities, although most of the fertile land is not cultivated due to mines that were installed during the civil war. Mostly grown bananas, coffee, tobacco. Cattle breeding is practically not developed, but fishing is popular.
It is noteworthy that Angola is a country with a relatively good level of GDP. It is three times higher than that of neighboring states. Exports are significantly higher than imports, but the state must repay very large loans taken from Hong Kong and China.