Largest cities in Angola and their description: Luanda, Cabinda, Huambo

Angola is a country in South Africa, a former colony of Portugal. It borders with DR Congo, Zambia and Namibia, and in the west it has wide access to the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave of Angola is also the province of Cabinda, located north of the main territory of the country. In this article, we list the most populated cities in Angola. In addition, you will learn about how and what the largest of them live - Luanda, Cabinda and Huambo.

Republic of Angola: economics and cities

Angola is a relatively young state. It received its independence only in 1975. The economy of modern Angola is based on the extraction of mineral resources, in particular oil. In addition to "black gold" in the bowels of this African country there is natural gas, iron and copper ores, gold, bauxite, uranium and diamonds. The agriculture is also quite developed. Angolans grow and market bananas, sugarcane, tobacco, cassava and sisal on the world market.

As of 2017, about 29 million people live in the republic. The total number of cities in Angola is 179. The table below lists the largest of them (by population).

It is worth noting that almost all of them are located in the western part of the state. The location of the ten largest cities in Angola is marked on the map below.

Luanda

Luanda is not only the capital and main city of Angola, but also an important political and financial center for all of South Africa. It is located on the shores of the Atlantic, surrounded by grassy and shrubby African savannah. 2.6 million people live in Luanda, and almost twice as many in the metropolitan area (together with the suburbs).

Luanda is a city of striking contrasts. Next to modern and fashionable buildings, you can see areas of poor, dilapidated slums. Many Luandians live in deep poverty. Nevertheless, this did not prevent the city from becoming one of the most expensive for life in the world (in 2017). The colossal profits of oil and diamond companies create increased demand for luxury housing and expensive restaurants. The cost of renting modest apartments in the center of the Angolan capital comes to 5-7 thousand dollars per month.

In Luanda there is something to see the tourist. First of all, this is the architectural colonial heritage left to the country by the Portuguese. The city has preserved many beautiful buildings of the XVII-XIX centuries. The most popular among tourists are two attractions - the local university and the fortress of San Miguel.

Cabinda

Cabinda is the center of the exclave province of the same name, located north of the republic. This is the second largest city in Angola, the settlement has almost 400 thousand inhabitants. It is in the vicinity of Kabinda that there are the richest oil deposits that fill the country's budget by 80%. In this regard, the province has a powerful separatist movement, seeking to secession from Angola.

Kabinda is a fairly modern and civilized city, of course, by African standards. There is an international airport and a large seaport, from where oil just “spreads” to consumers. Cabinda was founded at the end of the 19th century. The favorable geographical position contributed to the development of the city as an important shopping center.

Cabinda enjoys some popularity among tourists. Travelers come here to visit the unique Mayombe Nature Reserve. It protects the rainforest in the Congo Basin. Here elephants, rhinos, gorillas, sloths and many exotic species of birds are found.

Wambo

The city with the colorful name Huambo is located in the interior of the country, at the foot of the picturesque Moko Mountain. It was founded at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1928, Huambo was renamed New Lisbon. Moreover, in the 40s of the last century the intention was to transfer the capital of Angola here. However, this idea was never realized. The city of Huambo was badly damaged during the Civil War, which swept Angola in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Restoration work in the city is still ongoing.

Modern Huambo is a quiet and calm town in which the African flavor is well felt. The city is surrounded on all sides by majestic mountains and bright green tropical forest. On its streets, ancient buildings of the colonial era have been preserved, on some of them traces of bullets and shells are still visible.