Fun Facts:
1. It’s the 7th largest country in Africa.
2. It’s located in southern Africa, with a varied terrain that includes tropical beaches, rainforests, mountains and sub-Saharan desert.
3. It is Africa’s second largest oil producer.
4. Its capital and largest city is Luanda.
5. Luanda is one of the most expensive cities in the world and the 6th most expensive in Africa for expats.
6. Major Languages: Portuguese is the official language. The six most widely spoken Bantu languages are Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, Kwanyama (also called Oshikwanyama), and Ngangela
7. Ethnicity/Race: The three main ethnic groups are Ovimbundu 37%, Ambundu 25%, and Bakongo 13%. There are also several smaller African ethnic groups, as well as Mixed Race 2%, Chinese 1.4% and White 1%.
8. It gained its independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975, after 400 years of colonization. After independence, Angola had a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.
9. The transatlantic slave trade in Angola during the colonial era was one of the longest, with more than 5 million slaves brought to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the USA. The first 20 slaves brought to colonial Virginia in 1619 came from Angola.
10. The Angolan National Museum of Slavery details the history of slavery in Angola. The museum displays hundreds of items used in the slave trade and is housed in the former property of Álvaro de Carvalho Matoso, one of Angola’s largest slave traders.
11. It is the birthplace of Kuduro and Kizomba—music and dance styles rooted in traditional Angolan Semba. (Kizomba has been called the most sexual dance in the world)
12. It has numerous waterfalls, including Kalandula Falls, one of Africa’s largest waterfalls by volume.
13. Angola’s tourism industry is relatively new and largely based on its natural environment, which includes rivers, waterfalls, mountains, national parks, and coastline.
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