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ANGOLA AT A GLANCE:
The statistics above paint a bleak picture. Below is a brief history of Angola which partly explains how a country rich in natural resources (like Canada) reached such a desperate state. Portuguese colonists first arrived in Angola in 1483. At that time the Angolan Kongo Kingdom was well established and its Manikongo, or king, Nzinga Nkuwu welcomed the Portuguese. Missionaries soon arrived and within a few years an extremely profitable slave trade began. When gold was discovered in 1571, the Portuguese began what was to become a 400 year conquest of Angola. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is estimated that sixteen million Angolans were sent from Angola on slave ships. Just four million survived the journey and became slaves in Brazil and Mexico. Although slavery was officially made illegal in 1834 the forced labour which replaced it was no improvement for the Angolans working on Portuguese plantations and mines. Despite resistance which at times became fierce, the Portuguese were successful in establishing first the slave trade, then in the 19th and 20th centuries the cotton, rubber and coffee plantations which prospered with Angolan labour. In 1912 the first diamond mines were established. Oil deposits among the largest in Africa were found in Luanda and areas to the north. Angola's enormous wealth in resources unfortunately has not led to prosperity or security for its people but to international conflict and war. In 1961 a fierce struggle for independence began with worker uprisings across the country. The two primary Angolan independence movements at this time were: the MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola) which had its headquarters in Brazzaville, Congo (north of Angola) and was supported primarily by the Soviet Union; and the FNLA (Frente Nacional de Libertacao de Angola) which formed a government in exile in Kinshasa, Zaire and was supported by the USA. In 1965 the MPLA led an increasingly intense guerilla war which Portugal, concerned about oil losses, fought with NATO and US support. In 1966 UNITA (Uniao Nacional para a Independencia total de Angola) split from the FNLA and received support from China and later South Africa. In 1974 with the overthrow of Portugal's fascist government, the Portuguese began talks with the Angolan liberation parties to establish Angolan independence. Although independence was granted in 1975, the coalition between the three Angolan groups was short lived. In 1976 the MPLA, supported by Cuban troops, seized control of the government and with allied UNITA and FNLA forces mounting guerrilla opposition, the country descended into civil war. Almost twenty years of fighting passed before the signing of the Lusaka Protocol between the government and the UNITA rebel forces on November 20, 1994 brought an uneasy peace. The effects of the war have been devastating. Commercial links have been severed and the transportation infrastructure destroyed. The presence of huge numbers of anti-personnel land mines have created extremely dangerous conditions in rural areas causing millions to flee to the cities. In addition, drought and the collapse of roads and bridges needed for food distribution, has resulted in domestic food production dropping from 90% of requirements to just 3% today. There are now three to four million displaced people inside Angola. This has led to massive overcrowding in the cities which in turn has led to desperately inadequate water, sanitation, health and education services. The story of how one slum community, with support from a Canadian, has helped to meet this crisis is told in From Bullets to Buckets. Angolan Culture For North Americans, one of the most interesting aspects of culture
in Angola is the influence that its percussive music and fluid dance have
had on the development of new art forms in the west. It is not surprising
of course given the millions of Angolans who were brought as slaves to
Mexico and Brazil between the late sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
For a good introduction to music and dance as well as to the traditional
wooden masks and sculptures of Angola, visit the Republic
of Angola web-site.
For more information on Angola, link to: CARE - information and current statistics on Angola One World News Service - a service which selects news stories from international media outlets, related to countries in the developing world Republic of Angola site - map, news, government, business, arts & culture AfricaNews Online - daily news updates on Angola and other African countries
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