Angola


Figure 1.-- This photo was taken in Luanda, the capital of Angola during 2007. It is a good example of the great contrasts in the Angolan society.

Angola is on of the major countries of southern Africa. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive and for 5 century it was a Portuguese colony and heavily affected by the slave trade. A low-level independence movement developed, but Portugal made nor real effort to prepare Angola for independence. Angola actually achieved independent in 1975 after a revolution in Portugal. After independence there was a civil war between the Mouvement pour la libération de l'Angola/Angola Liberation Movement (MPLA) and the Union nationale pour l'indépendance totale de l'Angola/National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The conflict involved a power struggle, Cold War politics, tribal rivalries and other issues. The two movements struggle for control of the country and that struugle got involved in the Cold War and devloped into a debilitating civil war (1975-2002). The country was devestted by the war. Angola is riclhy endowed in valuable natural resources (including diamonds and oil) . Even so, most of the Angolan people are very poor. We have some information on Angolan schools. Education was very limited in Angola during the Portuguese Colnial period and the indepence struggle and following Civil war impeded the developmenbt of an education system. There has been some progress in recent years.

Geography

Angola is on of the major countries of southern Africa.

History

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive and for 5 century it was a Portuguese colony and heavily affected by the slave trade. A low-level independence movement developed, but Portugal made nor real effort to prepare Angola for independence. Angola actually achieved independent in 1975 after a revolution in Portugal. After independence there was a civil war between the Mouvement pour la libération de l'Angola/Angola Liberation Movement (MPLA) and the Union nationale pour l'indépendance totale de l'Angola/National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The conflict involved a power struggle, Cold War politics, tribal rivalries and other issues. The two movements struggle for control of the country and that struugle got involved in the Cold War and devloped into a debilitating civil war (1975-2002). The country was devestted by the war.

Economy

Angola is riclhy endowed in valuable natural resources (including diamonds and oil) . Even so, most of the Angolan people are despertly poor. As with many recource-rich developing countries, the idealistic expectations of a bright future after independence have proven ilusionary. Angolan political leaders have been unable to convert the country's fertile land, deposits of oil and gas, and other mineral wealth into a prosperous future for the Angolan people. Part of the problem besides coruption was the Cold War and the intervention of foreign countries. This resulted in a debilitated civil war thst ravaged the countryside. Often ignored is the socialist, statist mentality of the Cuban/Soviet-backed MPLA which controlled the cities and large areas of the country after independemce. There has, however, been some progress in recent years.

Activities

We have some information on Angolan schools. Education was very limited in Angola during the Portuguese Colnial period and the indepence struggle and following Civil war impeded the developmenbt of an education system.








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Created: 11:04 PM 6/26/2007
Last updated: 8:07 PM 10/5/2010