The 27-Year Civil War Nation Rebuilding on Oil
Angola fought one of Africa’s longest and most brutal civil wars — from 1975 (independence from Portugal) to 2002 — between the ruling MPLA (backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union) and the rebel UNITA (backed by the USA and apartheid South Africa). The war was a Cold War proxy conflict — at its peak Cuba had up to 40,000 troops in Angola, fighting South African forces. The war killed an estimated 500,000+ people and displaced millions.
UNITA’s leader Jonas Savimbi was killed in 2002, ending the war. Angola has since been rebuilding, with massive oil revenues (2nd-largest African producer after Nigeria — ~1.1 million barrels/day) funding reconstruction — though corruption has been extreme. Isabel dos Santos — daughter of longtime president José Eduardo dos Santos (1979-2017) — was Africa’s richest woman before being exposed as a massive kleptocrat in the 2020 Luanda Leaks.
Luanda — the capital — was for much of the 2010s rated the world’s most expensive city for expatriates because of oil-fuelled inflation and a severe shortage of Western-standard housing.
Angola is also home to about 70% of the world’s remaining intact miombo woodland and has wildlife that is slowly recovering — Kissama National Park has been restocked and new parks are being developed for eco-tourism.
A Brief History
Kingdoms of Kongo, Ndongo, Matamba. Portuguese colony from 16th century (major slave trade, 5.5 million enslaved to Americas). Carnation Revolution 1974, independence 1975 into civil war. Civil war 1975-2002. MPLA rule continuously. João Lourenço president since 2017.
Geography and Climate
Angola covers 1,246,700 km². Atlantic coast ~1,600 km. Desert south (Namib), highlands centre, tropical north. Cabinda — an exclave — is separated from the rest of Angola by DRC.
Culture, Language and Religion
Portuguese is official. Religion: approximately 93% Christian. Major ethnic groups: Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Bakongo.
The Economy
Angola has a lower-middle-income economy (~$100 billion GDP). Oil (~1.1 million barrels/day) dominates. Diamonds are also significant.
UNESCO Sites
Angola has 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo.
Travel Guide
Entry: E-visa available. Luanda is expensive; rural tourism developing slowly.
Surprising Facts
- Angola’s civil war (1975-2002) was one of the Cold War’s largest proxy conflicts — Cuban troops vs. South African forces.
- Cabinda — an exclave separated from Angola by DRC — accounts for most of Angola’s oil production.
- Isabel dos Santos was Africa’s richest woman before the 2020 Luanda Leaks exposed her billions as misappropriated state assets.
- Luanda was the world’s most expensive city for expatriates for several years in the 2010s.
- Angola has the world’s largest Portuguese-speaking population outside Brazil — approximately 37 million.
- The Mbanza Kongo site was the capital of the powerful Kingdom of Kongo (14th-19th centuries).
Sources and References
See the frontmatter for cited sources.