Area: 481,350 square miles                                             Population: 7,000,000

Discovered by Portuguese navigator Diego Cao in 1483. By recognizing the local rulers, Portugal organized a slave trade to Brazil, founded Luanda (Loanda) in 1576 and from there extended its rule into the interior which was successfully contested by the Dutch between 1641 and 1648. In the course of the international partitioning of Africa by the European colonial powers (Congo Conference of 1885), the present-day Angola together with Cabinda was awarded to Portugal. The attempt of 1951 of hushing up the colonial regime by redesignating the colonies as (overseas) provinces, eventually miscarried. Three independence movements, hostile among each other, formed in Angola. Independence was proclaimed on November 11, 1975, and then a People’s Republic.

Monetary System

5 Centavos = 1 Macuta; 100 Centavos = 1 Angola-Escudo

since January 10, 1977: 100 Lwei = 1 Kwanza

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A portion of the profits from this web site are donated to The Starcross Community, an organization providing love and care, in a home setting, to children afflicted with the AIDS virus.