What is the language in Angola? Angola: a country in Central Africa. listen to the Angolan anthem

Quito

Form of government presidential republic The president Joao Lourenco Vice President Bornita di Sousa Territory 22nd in the world Total 1,246,700 km² % water surface insignificant Population Score (2017) ▲ 29,310,273 people (46th) Census (2014) 25,789,024 people Density 20.69 people/km² GDP (PPP) Total (2016) $194.055 billion Per capita $7,501 USD GDP (nominal) Total (2016) $98.815 billion Per capita $3819 HDI (2015) ▲ 0.532 (low; 149th place) Currency Kwanzaa (AOA code 973) Internet domain .ao ISO code A.O. IOC code ANG Telephone code +244 Time Zones +1

Angola(port. Angola), full official form - Republic of Angola(port. República de Angola ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈɡɔlɐ) - state in . A former Portuguese colony, it gained independence in 1975. Member of the UN since December 1, 1976.

In the west it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south it borders, in the northeast and north with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the east with, as well as the Republic of the Congo (exclave).

Geography

Relief of Angola

The Atlantic coast of Angola is occupied by a coastal lowland, which rises steeply onto a plateau that occupies more than 90% of the country's territory. The central part of the plateau is occupied by the Bie massif with the highest point of the country - Mount Moko (2620 m). Among mineral resources, Angola is rich in oil, diamonds, iron ores, bauxite, phosphorites, gypsum, gold, uranium, copper, titanium, and manganese ores.

The climate of the coastal lowland is tropical trade wind, arid due to the cold Benguela Current passing along the coast, which lowers the temperature of coastal air to 24-26 ° C in the warmest month (March) and to 16-20 ° C in the coldest month (July). Annual precipitation on the coast decreases from north to south from 250-500 to 50-100 mm (in the Namib Desert). The plateau has an equatorial monsoon climate with long wet summers (October - May) and dry winters (June - September). The air temperature, depending on the height of different parts of the plateau, varies from 13-23 °C in winter to 17-28 °C at the beginning of the rainy season. The annual precipitation decreases from north to south of the plateau from 1000-1500 to 600-800 mm.

Rivers flowing from the western slopes of the plateau flow into the Atlantic Ocean, with northern slopes- flow into the Congo, from the southeast - into, from the south - they are lost in the sands of the Kalahari Desert. During the long rainy season, the rivers overflow heavily, become shallow during the dry season, and dry up in the south.

Forests and woodlands occupy about 40% of Angola's territory. Tropical rainforests are concentrated in the northeast of the country; the rest of the plateau is occupied by dry deciduous tropical woodlands and grass savannas. The vegetation of the coastal lowlands varies from grassy and shrubby savannas with baobab in the north to Welwitschian deserts in the south.

Minerals

Angola has significant natural resources, of which the main ones are oil (in particular, the Begonia, Jasmine, Dalia deposits) and diamonds, as well as iron ore, phosphates, copper, gold, bauxite, and uranium.

In addition, the republic has significant natural gas resources: in 2009, its reserves amounted to about 300 billion cubic meters. The fields of Angola are characterized by a large depth of formations and shelf, which increases the cost of production.

Live nature

The fauna of Angola is typical for savannahs: elephants, zebras, antelopes, buffalos, jackals, lions, cheetahs, leopards, warthogs, aardvarks, monkeys, various reptiles and insects. Coastal waters rich in fish.

Story

• At the beginning of the 6th century BC. e. Bantu tribes with skills in metalworking, ceramics production and agriculture came to the territory inhabited by the Bushmen.
• In the XIII-XVI centuries. part of modern Angola was part of the Kingdom of Kongo, with its capital. In the XVI-XIX centuries. part of the territory was occupied by the kingdom of Lunda. In the north of Angola in the 16th-17th centuries. the state of Ndongo was located.
• 1482 - the coast of Angola was discovered by the expedition of the navigator Diogo Cana.
• 1576 - The Portuguese establish a fort, which later becomes the capital of Angola. Until the mid-19th century, the main occupation of the Portuguese in Angola was the slave trade; According to rough estimates, over 300 years, about 5 million people were taken out of the country (mainly to). Angola as a whole was more connected with Brazil than with the mother country. After the proclamation of the Brazilian Empire, Angolan colonists more than once expressed a desire to join it.
• 1641 - capture of Luanda by the Dutch. Dutch occupation of Angola.
• 1648 - The Portuguese regain control of Luanda. Dutch troops leave Angolan territory.
• 1885-1894 - Portugal, and conclude agreements that determined the modern borders of Angola.
• 1951 - Angola receives the status of an "overseas province" of Portugal.
• 1958 - An oil refinery was built in Luanda.
• 1950s - the first rebel groups emerge - MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labor Party), UPA.
• 1961 - anti-Portuguese uprising led by Holden Roberto (leader of the UPA group and then the FNLA). Rebel camps are located in neighboring Congo (Kinshasa). The beginning of the War of Independence, which lasted 14 years. At the same time, the confrontation between the MPLA and the FNLA begins.
• 1962 - The provisional government of the Angolan Republic in exile is formed, led by Holden Roberto. The Angolan National Liberation Army was established under the command of Roberto.
• 1966 - the creation of UNITA led by Jonas Savimbi, a left-wing radical Ovimbundu nationalist, a former associate of Holden Roberto in the FNLA. Combat operations of UNITA's military wing, the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA), begin.
• 1974 - “carnation revolution” in Portugal. Portugal grants freedom to all its colonies.
• 1975 - The MPLA uses the help of the regular Cuban army, UNITA - the help of South Africa, the FNLA - neighboring Zaire. The FNLA and UNITA offensive on Luanda, supported by Zaire and South Africa, was thwarted at the Battle of Quifangondo. MPLA troops launch a successful counter-offensive.
• 1975, November 11 - Angola's independence is declared. The first president of Angola becomes the leader of the pro-Soviet MPLA group, Agostinho Neto, whose troops occupy Luanda, the administrative center of Angola. However, independence does not bring peace to Angola. A long-term civil war for power in the country began between the pro-Soviet MPLA and the pro-American UNITA and FNLA. This war is complicated by interethnic contradictions. Streams of weapons are pouring into the country. Government troops are trained by Soviet and Cuban instructors.



Military parade in Luanda during the Civil War

1976 - MPLA troops win the first stage civil war. The FNLA is defeated, the troops of South Africa and Zaire leave the territory of Angola. A group of FNLA mercenaries is on trial in Luanda. UNITA turns to many years of guerrilla warfare.

• 1977 - May Rebellion of "factionalists" led by orthodox communist Nito Alvis. Suppressed by President Neto and General E. Carreira with the help of Cuban troops. Tens of thousands of people have been subjected to repression by the State Security Service DISA.
• 1977, 1978 - detachments of the pro-Angolan organization FNLC under the command of General Mbumba, with the sanction of the MPLA government, invade the Zairean province of Shaba. The 1977 invasion was repulsed by the Zairian army with decisive military assistance. The following year, the FNLC formations were defeated in Kolwezi by paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion. After two defeats in Shaba, the Angolan government is moving to normalize relations with Zaire.
• 1979 - death of Agostinho Neto. The new leader of the MPLA, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, becomes President of Angola. DISA was disbanded somewhat earlier; functions were divided between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of State Security.
• 1980 - Enrique Carreira, the second figure in the party-state hierarchy during the time of Agostinho Neto, is removed from the post of Minister of Defense. Power is concentrated in the hands of President dos Santos. FNLA leader Holden Roberto stops fighting in Angola. UNITA, led by Jonas Savimbi, intensifies guerrilla warfare.
• 1985 - an international conference of anti-communist partisans was held in the city of Jamba, on territory controlled by UNITA rebels.
• 1987-1988 - The Battle of Quito Quanavale, the turning point of the war. South African troops leave Angola.
• 1989 - in accordance with international agreements, Cuban and South African troops leave Angola. Direct military support from outside the participants in the Angolan war officially ends.
• 1990 - under the influence of perestroika in the USSR, the MPLA proclaims the rejection of communist ideology and declares its intention to carry out fundamental democratic and market reforms.
• 1991 - Bicess Agreements on a political settlement were signed in Lisbon between the ruling MPLA and the opposition UNITA. Holden Roberto returns to Angola.
• 1992 - Having lost Soviet support, the MPLA reoriented towards the United States. The first multi-party elections in the country's history are held in the fall. It is announced that the MPLA has received a majority in parliament and dos Santos first place in the first round. UNITA disputes the announced election results. MPLA responds with Halloween massacre. The civil war resumes with new ferocity.
• 1993 - 55 Days War, UNITA's last major military victory. Savimbi's troops recapture.
• 1994 - new peace agreements between the MPLA and UNITA are signed in Lusaka. A ceasefire and the creation of a coalition government are expected. Both sides ignore the agreements, the agreement is broken.
• 1998 - aggravation of the political situation, resumption of clashes between the MPLA and UNITA. Creation of the pro-government party Renewed UNITA.
• 1999 - massive offensive of government troops on UNITA positions, on December 24 the city of Jamba was captured.
• 2002 - February 22 Jonas Savimbi dies in battle with government forces near the town of Lucousse (eastern Moxico province). On March 15, negotiations begin between representatives of the government and the new leadership of UNITA, led by Paulo Lukmba and Isaias Samakuva. On April 4, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed - a new peace agreement. UNITA basically accepts the settlement terms put forward by the ruling MPLA and becomes the legal opposition.
• 2010 - The African Cup of Nations football tournament was held in Angola.
• 2011 - protests by opposition youth led by rapper Iconoclast, influenced by the Arab Spring. The authorities counter them with mass demonstrations of civil servants expressing loyalty to President dos Santos.
• 2012 - The MPLA again wins a large majority of seats in parliament. According to constitutional amendments, Jose Eduardo dos Santos automatically retains the presidency.
• 2013 - a new wave of protests organized by the CASA party (Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola) led by former UNITA activist Abel Shivukuvuku. The authorities respond with a brutal crackdown using firearms. There have been killings of opposition activists. The government claims priority protection of Angolan “spiritual and cultural heritage.” In Luanda and some other settlements, mosques are being demolished.
• 2016 - The MPLA Central Committee approved the list of party candidates for the parliamentary elections upcoming in August 2017. The first number on the list is the Minister of Defense of Angola, Vice-Chairman of the MPLA, Joao Lourenço. Thus, Lourenço was declared the successor of President dos Santos.
• 2017 - On August 23, elections were held in which the MPLA again received a parliamentary majority, although the opposition - UNITA and CASA - significantly strengthened their positions. On September 26, Joao Lourenço became the new president of Angola (José Eduardo dos Santos remained chairman of the MPLA).

State structure

Angola is a presidential republic. The head of state is the President. Since 1979, this post has been held by José Eduardo dos Santos. On September 26, 2017, he was replaced by Joao Lourenço.

The government is headed by the Vice President, who is appointed by the President. Since September 26, 2017, Bornitu di Souza has been vice president.

The legislative branch is a unicameral parliament (People's Assembly) consisting of 220 deputies elected for 4 years. Fernando da Piedade dos Santos, who previously held this post in 2008-2010, again became the Speaker of Parliament on September 27, 2012.

Political parties represented in parliament (based on election results in August 2017):

• UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) - 51 places;
• MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) - 150 seats;
• CASA (Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola) - 16 seats;
• Social Renewal Party - 2 seats;
• FNLA (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) - 1st place.

According to the new constitution of 2011, direct presidential elections are abolished in the country, and the leader of the party that wins the parliamentary elections becomes president. The post of prime minister was also abolished, as a result of which all power passed to the president.

Foreign policy

Has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on November 11, 1975).

Relations with the United States - see American-Angolan relations.

Administrative structure

Administrative map of Angola

Map of Angola with numbered provinces

Administratively, Angola is divided into 18 provinces (port. província), which, in turn, are divided into 157 municipalities (port. município).

№	Provinces	Administrative center	Square, km²	Population, people (2014)	Density people/km²	Map
1	Bengo		31 371	356 641	11,37
2	Benguela		31 788	2 231 385	70,20
3	Bie	Quito	70 314	1 455 255	20,70
4		Cabinda	7270	716 076	98,50
5	Quando Cubango		199 049	534 002	2,68
6	Northern Kwanzaa		24 190	443 386	18,33
7	Southern Kwanzaa		55 660	1 881 873	33,81
8	Kunene		89 342	990 087	11,08
9		Huambo	34 274	2 019 555	58,92
10	Huila		75 002	2 497 422	33,30
11	Luanda		2418	6 945 386	2872,37
12	North Lunda		102 783	862 566	8,39
13	South Lunda		45 649	537 587	11,78
14	Malanje		97 602	986 363	10,11
15	Moshico	Luena	223 023	758 568	3,40
16	Namibe		58 137	495 326	8,52
17	Ouige		58 698	1 483 118	25,27
18	Zaire		40 130	594 428	14,81
	Total		1 246 700	25 789 024	20,69

Population and demographics

Ethnic composition of the country

Angola's first census since independence was conducted from 16 to 31 May 2014. The previous census was conducted by the Portuguese colonial administration in December 1970. The 2014 census results recorded a population of 25,789,024. Population estimate for July 2017 - 29,310,273

The main part of the people of Angola are made up of three ethnic groups: Ovimbundu (37%), Northern Mbundu (25%) and Congo (13%). The remaining Bantu-speaking peoples inhabiting the country are the Lunda, Chokwe, Gangela, Nyaneka-Umbe, Ovambo, Herero and Shindonga. Non-Bantu-speaking peoples include the Bushmen. About 2% of the population are African-European mulattoes, 1% are white, mostly assimilated Portuguese.

Ethnic names are Angolans, Angolans and Angolans.

The population growth in the country is about 2% annually. The average fertility rate is 6.05 births per woman. Angola has a very high infant mortality rate - an average of 178 out of 1000 die in the first year of life (1st highest in the world).

Average life expectancy is 51.7 years (2012).

In 2007, 2.1% of the population was infected with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Every year about 11 thousand people die from this disease.

The official state language is Portuguese. The population uses African Bantu languages: Southern Mbundu, Northern Mbundu, Kongo, Chokwe, Kwanyama.

Cities of Angola

Largest cities in Angola:

• - 2 325 700
• - 513 000
• - 325 000
• - 222 000
• Cabinda - 195,600

Economy

In recent years, Angola's economy has been developing rapidly. In the photo - construction of new houses in Luanda

Angola's economy is based on oil production and exports - 85% of GDP. Thanks to its oil component, the country's economy is the fastest growing among sub-Saharan African countries. Thus, in 2008, Angola’s GDP growth was 15%, while the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole showed only 5% growth. Per capita gross domestic product in 2008 was $5,020, which is a very high achievement for this region of the world. The oil fields of Angola consisted (as of the early 2010s) of 50 concession blocks, each with an area of ​​approximately 5 thousand km². This number included 30 concession blocks on the shelf (13 deepwater and 17 ultra-deepwater zones): actual production in 2011 was carried out in only 11 of them. The concession for oil production in Angola was issued (as of the early 2010s) for 20 years. In 2013, the country produced 87.4 million tons of oil, part of which was processed at the plant in Luanda (its capacity is 65 thousand barrels per day).

In addition, the Angolan economy received from the PRC in 2003-2009. loans totaling $17.4 billion. Large loans also came from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain and the European Union.

Agriculture

Over 80% of workers are employed in agriculture, but approximately 80% of the volume of food consumed is imported. Bananas, sugar cane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, cassava, tobacco, and vegetables are cultivated. Livestock is raised.

Industry

Oil, diamonds, granite, marble, inert building materials, and natural asphalt are extracted. Old oil refineries are being reconstructed and new ones are being built. Export of natural gas (in liquefied form): the liquefaction plant came into operation in 2013, and the first batch was sent in June of the same year.

Intensive preparation of iron ore and manganese deposits is underway to resume their exports. Detailed geological exploration is being carried out on previously recorded occurrences of phosphates, bauxite, copper, and gold.

New enterprises for the production of cement, the processing of granite and marble, and the production of food industry products (beer, cigarettes, coffee, mineral water, meat and dairy products) have been restored or built. Textile production is being revived, using local raw materials.

Energy

There are more than 6 hydroelectric power plants in Angola:

• HPP Lomaum
• Cambambe hydroelectric station
• HPP Lauca
• Gove hydroelectric station

International trade

Exports ($51.7 billion in 2010) - crude oil, diamonds, coffee, sisal, fish (industrial fishing has been discontinued since 2004, the products of artisanal coastal and river fishing are consumed by the population, the bulk of consumed fish is imported under quotas), cotton.

Main buyers: China - 35.7%, USA - 26.0%, France - 8.8%, South Africa - 4.1%.

Imports ($18.1 billion in 2010) - industrial goods, vehicles, medicines, food, textiles, weapons.

Main suppliers: Portugal - 18.7%, China - 17.4%, USA - 8.5%, Brazil - 8.2%, South Korea- 6.7%, France - 4.5%.

Culture

Religion

Cathedral of Luanda

The majority of Angola residents profess Christianity (according to various estimates from 88 to 94% in 2010).

The country remains predominantly Catholic (57%), but the share of Protestants is noticeably increasing (more than 30% in 2010). The latter are represented primarily by the Assemblies of God (2 million), the Worldwide Church of the Kingdom of God (0.4 million) and other Pentecostal denominations. Several hundred thousand believers include congregations of Congregationalists, Adventists, Baptists, Reformers and Plymouth Brethren. There are 115 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses in the country, united in 1,565 congregations.

Local traditional beliefs are adhered to by 4.5% of the Angolan population, but the number and proportion of supporters of these cults continues to decline.

Migrants from West Africa and the Middle East practice Islam. The number of Muslims in the country is estimated at 80-90 thousand people. Foreigners living in the country include Buddhists, followers of Chinese folk religion, Hindus and Jews.

On August 31, 2015, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos issued an appeal for the adoption of a law decreeing the closure of all mosques in the country. “This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country,” the head of state said. The Minister of Culture added to the President's words: "The process of legalizing Islam has not been approved by the country's Ministry of Justice, and the mosques will be closed until further notice."

mass media

The Angolan public broadcaster TPA (Televisão Pública de Angola - Public Television of Angola), founded in 1973 under the name RPA (Radiotelevisão Portuguesa de Angola - Portuguese Radio Television of Angola) as part of RTP, launched its second channel TPA 2 in 2000.

The state radio company of Angola RNA (Rádio Nacional de Angola - National Radio of Angola) was founded in 1977 and includes 6 radio stations - Canal A, Radio Cinco, Radio N'gola Yetu, Radio Luanda, Radio Estereo and Canal Internacional.

Armed forces

Notes

1. States and territories of the world. Reference information // World Atlas / comp. and preparation to ed. PKO "Cartography" in 2009; Ch. ed. G. V. Pozdnyak. - M.: PKO "Cartography": Onyx, 2010. - P. 14. - ISBN 978-5-85120-295-7 (Cartography). - ISBN 978-5-488-02609-4 (Onyx).
2. World Atlas: Maximum detailed information / Project leaders: A. N. Bushnev, A. P. Pritvorov. - Moscow: AST, 2017. - P. 72. - 96 p. - ISBN 978-5-17-10261-4.
3. Angola (English) . The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
4. 2014 Census (INE Angola) Archived May 6, 2016.
5. Human Development Report 2013. UN (2013). Retrieved March 14, 2013. Archived May 10, 2013.
6. Mayorets M., Simonov K., 2013, p. 215.
7. Angola - history of Angola. War in Angola // Africa: African countries
8. http://www.histant.ru/sites/default/files/inafran/Rassohin_disser.pdf P. 20.
9. Angola is a country of contrasts // “Expert Online”, 09/03/2012.
10. United Nations Statistics Division
11. World Bank data
12. pp. 20-21.
13. , S. 94
14. , S. 27
15. Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country. Pew Research Center (January 2011). Retrieved March 15, 2014. Archived January 7, 2012.
16. J. Gordon Melton. Angola // Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices / J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann. - Oxford, England: ABC CLIO, 2010. - P. 134. - 3200 p. - ISBN 1-57607-223-1.
17. The Portuguese Fire Bible is now available to pastors in Africa! (English) . Assemblies of God Bible Alliance. Retrieved May 19, 2013. Archived May 23, 2013.
18. Evangelical churches blooming in Angola. 24.com (29 January 2013). Retrieved January 2, 2015.
19. 2016 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. - Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2016. - P. 178. - 192 p.
20. Aristides Cabeche and David Smith. Angola accused of "banning" Islam as mosques closed, The Guardian(November 28, 2013).

Literature

• Maxim Mayorets, Konstantin Simonov. Liquefied gas is the future of world energy. - M.: Alpina Publisher, 2013. - 360 p. - ISBN 978-5-9614-4403-2. Great Russian · Brockhaus and Efron · Small Brockhaus and Efron · Encyclopedic Lexicon · Britannica (online) · Brockhaus · Swiss Historical Regulatory control

  BNF: 11930899k GND: 4002050-2 ISNI: 0000 0004 0498 3083 LCCN: n80046439 NDL: 00560254 VIAF: 152395020

The content of the article

ANGOLA, Republic of Angola, a state in southwest Africa. Capital– Luanda (4.51 million people – 2010). Territory– 1.247 million sq. km. Administrative division– 18 provinces. Population– 13.3 million people (2011 estimate). Official language– Portuguese. Religion– Christianity and traditional African beliefs. Currency unit- Kwanzaa. National holiday– November 11 – Independence Day (1975). Angola has been a member of the UN since 1976, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) since 1976, and since 2002 its successor - the African Union (AU), the Non-Aligned Movement, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and South Africa(COMESA) and, since 1996, the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (PALOP).

Geographical location and boundaries.

Continental State. The province of Cabinda is separated from the rest of the country by a narrow strip of territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC - former Zaire). The western part is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It borders in the northeast with the Republic of Congo, in the east with Zambia, and in the south with Namibia. Length coastline- OK. 1600 km.

Nature.

Most of the territory is plateau. The heights of its highest part - the Bie massif - reach more than 2000 m. The highest point is Moko (2620 m). Minerals: diamonds, iron, gold, quartz, manganese, copper, natural gas, petroleum, lead, mica, radioactive ores and zinc.

The climate of the interior regions is equatorial, monsoon. Two seasons are clearly defined - wet (October-May) and dry (June-September). The warmest months are September-October (+21–29° C), the coldest are June-July (+15–22° C). From 600 to 1500 mm of precipitation falls annually. The climate of the coast is tropical, trade wind. The average temperatures of the warmest month (March) are +24–26° C, the coldest (July) is +16–20° C. Precipitation mainly falls in February-March - from 50 to 500 mm per year. Dense river network, most of the rivers are replete with rapids and waterfalls. The water level in them fluctuates throughout the year. Major rivers: Kwanza, Quito, Cubango and Cunene. Kwanza and Shilvango are navigable.

OK. 40% of the territory is covered with tropical forests (red and sandalwood, limba, tola, chitola, etc. grow) and deciduous woodlands. There are an abundance of palm trees on the sea coast. In the north, south, east and central regions there are extensive savannas (acacias, baobabs, Berlinias, brachystegia, dende palms). In the north of the province of Cabinda there are mangrove forests. In the Namib Desert (south of the country), there is a dwarf tree called Welwitschia amazing. Rich fauna - hippos, white and black rhinoceroses, warthogs, buffalos, gazelles, cheetahs, giant black antelopes, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, kaffir striders (large rodents), crocodiles, leopards, lions, monkeys, pangolins (lizard-like mammals), elephants , aardvarks and jackals. The avifauna is diverse - bustards, sunbirds, parrots, hornbills, secretary birds, weaver birds, hoopoes, etc. There are many reptiles and insects, including the tsetse fly. Several national parks have been created. The coastal waters are rich in fish, crustaceans and mollusks, and there are black whales and sea turtles.

Population.

The average population density is 10 people. per 1 sq. km (2009). Average annual population growth is 2.10% per year (2009). The birth rate is 42.91 births per 1000 population. Mortality – 23.4 deaths per 1000 population (July 2011). Infant mortality is 175.9 deaths per 1000 births. 43.2% of the population are children under 14 years of age. Residents who have passed the age of 65 make up 2.7%. Life expectancy – 38.76 years (men – 37.74, women 39.83 years) (all indicators for 2011)
The vast majority of the population is classified as poor.

Angola is a multi-ethnic state (110 ethnic groups). 96% of the population belongs to the peoples of the Bantu linguistic family: Ovimbundu (37%), Ambundu (23%), Bakongo (13%), Ngangela (approx. 9%), Chokwe (more than 8%), Nyaneka (4.2%) , Ovambo (2.4%) and others (2000). Each of the listed peoples consists of several ethnic groups: the Ambundu of 21 (Ambundu, Luango, Ngola, etc.), the Ovimbundu of 16 (Bieno, Mbiu, Sele, etc.). In addition to the Bantu, the country (northeastern provinces) is inhabited by Twa pygmies, and in the south and southwest by Bushmen (San). 2% of the population are mulattoes, 1% are Europeans. The most common local languages ​​are Kikongo, Kimbundu and Umbundu.

In cities live approx. 30% of the country's inhabitants.

Large cities: Huambo 979 thousand people. (2009), Benguela (155 thousand people), Lobito (150 thousand people), Namib (125.4 thousand people) - 2002. According to estimates in neighboring countries (most of all in Zambia - about 250 thousand . people) there are 470 thousand Angolan refugees (2003). Angola is one of the largest labor exporters on the continent.

Religions.

53% of the population profess Christianity (Catholics - 38%, Protestants - 15%), 44% of the population adhere to traditional African beliefs and cults (animalism, fetishism, cult of ancestors and forces of nature, etc.), approx. 3% are parishioners of Afro-Christian churches. Christianity began to spread in the late 15th century In 2001, there were 87 officially registered religious sects, and their number continues to grow.

STATE STRUCTURE

The Constitutional Law of 1975 with subsequent amendments is in force. The head of state is the president, elected on the basis of direct and secret ballot under a majoritarian system for 5 years. He has the right to be re-elected for three more terms. Parliament is a unicameral National Assembly, 220 deputies of which are elected for a 4-year term by direct secret ballot using a system of proportional representation (130 - according to the national list, 90 - 5 deputies from each of the 18 provinces).

The national flag is a rectangular panel divided into two equal-sized horizontal stripes of red (above) and black. In the center of the flag, superimposed on the stripes is an image of crossed machetes and half a geared machine wheel and a five-pointed star (between them) in yellow.

Judicial system. There are Supreme and Courts of Appeal, civil and criminal local and provincial courts, and a military tribunal.

Defense. National army of 50 thousand people. formed in May 1991 in accordance with the peace agreement concluded between the government and UNITA. After the ratification of the ceasefire agreement (April 2002), 5 thousand UNITA militants were integrated into the Angolan army. In 2002, the national armed forces numbered 100 thousand people: the army (90 thousand people), the Navy (4 thousand people) and the Air Force (6 thousand people). There are also paramilitary forces numbering 10 thousand people. 90% of the army's weapons are Soviet and Russian-made. Defense spending – 265.1 million US dollars (1.9% of GDP) – 2003.

Foreign policy.

The basis is the policy of non-alignment. Maintains relations with the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa (joined the so-called “Lusophone Commonwealth” - the PALOP organization - created by them together with Portugal and Brazil in 1996).

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Angola were established on November 11, 1975 (the MPLA government was recognized as one of the first). After the outbreak of the civil war, the USSR provided significant material and military assistance, as well as moral support to the MPLA in the fight against the opposition groups UNITA and FNLA. Russia is a member of the “troika” of observers to resolve the situation in Angola and a participant in UN peacekeeping operations in the country. In 1998, the President of Angola, J. dos Santos, visited Moscow. A Declaration on the foundations of friendly relations and cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Angola and agreements on trade and economic cooperation and the development of the diamond complexes of the two countries was signed. In the beginning. In the 2000s, the Russian company ALROSA built a mining and processing plant in Angola, owned by the joint diamond mining enterprise KATOCA (annually produces diamonds worth $150 million), in which ALROSA owns a 32% stake.

Embassy of the Republic of Angola in the Russian Federation – Moscow, st. Olof Palme, 6. Tel. (095) 143–63–24, 143–65–21, fax (095) 956–18–80. Ambassador (since 2000) – Mr. Monteiro Roberto Leal Ramos (General "Ngongo").

ECONOMY

Its basis is the oil business (80% of profits - 2004) and diamond mining. Angola is on the list of the main 17 debtor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Agriculture.

The share in GDP is 8%, 85% of the population is employed. (2003). 3% of the vast areas of fertile land are cultivated (one of the reasons is the presence of a large number of mines in the fields). Commercial production of wheat has been developed. They grow bananas, coffee, corn, cassava (cassava), vegetables, sugar cane, sisal, tobacco and cotton. The development of livestock farming is hampered by the spread of tsetse flies in 14 (out of 18) provinces. Cattle are raised only in the south. Fishery is developed (catch of conger eel, tuna, etc.). In the economic zone of Angola, Russian vessels annually catch approx. 25 thousand tons of fish and seafood. Forestry: logging is carried out; cypress and eucalyptus trees are grown for the production of paper and pulp.

Industry.

Share in GDP – 67% (2001). In 2002, the share of the mining industry in GDP, the main component of which is oil and diamond production, was 54.7%. Angola ranks 4th in the world in diamond production (2003). There are enterprises for oil refining, production of building materials, factories for processing agricultural raw materials (including sugar production and fish processing), enterprises in the tobacco, textile and chemical industries. Motorcycles are assembled at a joint venture with China.

International trade.

Exports significantly exceed imports. In 2003, exports amounted to 9.67 billion US dollars, and imports – 4.08 billion US dollars. The main export commodities are diamonds, coffee, crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, fish and seafood, sisal, timber and timber products, and cotton. Main export partners: USA (41%), China (13.6%), France (7.9%), Taiwan (7.5%), Belgium (6.2%), Japan (4.9%) , Spain (4.3%) – 2002. Main import goods: military equipment, medicines, machinery and electrical equipment, food products, textiles, vehicles and spare parts. Main import partners: Portugal (19.2%), South Africa (14.7%), USA (13.2%), Brazil (7.1%), France (6.4%) and Belgium (5%) – 2002.

Energy.

63.6% of electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants, 36.4% by thermal power plants using petroleum products as fuel. In 2003, construction of the first stage of the Kapanda hydroelectric complex was completed, interrupted due to hostilities in 1990. The restoration of damaged power plants is underway.

Transport.

The transport system was destroyed as a result of a long civil war. The railway network (total length of roads is 2.76 thousand km) and 76.63 thousand km of roads (2003) need restoration and repair. The main ports are Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda and Namib. The merchant fleet consists of 124 vessels (2002). In 2003, as part of the NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development) program, a plan for the restoration of the port of Lobito was developed. The air transport system is well developed: in 2003 there were 244 airports and runways (32 with hard surfaces). In 2003, the restoration of airports in Biya, Luanda, Lobito, Namiba and Huambo began. Cargo and passenger transportation is carried out both within the country and to countries in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and South America.

Finance and credit.

The monetary unit is the new kwanzaa (AOA, introduced in September 1990), consisting of 100 leva. In February 2004 the course national currency was: 1 USD = 80.1 AOA.

Administrative device.

The country is divided into 18 provinces, consisting of 163 municipal districts.

Political organizations.

A multi-party system has emerged (about 120 political parties and organizations). The most influential of them: “ People's Liberation Movement Angola», MPLA(Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, MPLA), Chairman. – José Eduardo dos Santos, General. sec. – Lourenço João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. Ruling party, main in 1956; " National Union for Total Independence Angola», UNITA(União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola, UNITA), gen. sec. – Lukamba Paulo “Gato” (Paulo Lukamba “Gato”). Founded in 1966; " National Liberation Front Angola», FNLA(Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola, FNLA), Chairman. – Ngonda Lucas (Lucas Ngonda). Founded in 1962; " Liberal Democratic the consignment», LDP(Partido Liberal Democrático, PLD), Chairman. – Anália de Victória Pereira; " Social Renewal Party», PRS(Partido Renovador Social, PRS), leader – Eduardo Kwangana; " UNITA-Renewed"(UNITA-Renovador), Chairman. – Ngolu Manuvakola Eugenio (Eugenio Ngolo Manuvakola). Created by former UNITA members in 1998.

Trade union associations. National Association of Angolan Workers, NOAT (União Nacional de Trabalhadores Angolanos, UNTA). Created in April 1960, has approx. 600 thousand members. Chairman - Manuel Diogo da Silva Neto, Secretary General - Manuel Augusto Viage.

Education.

Primary education is officially compulsory (4 years), which children can receive from the age of 6. Secondary education (7 years) begins at age 10 and takes place in two cycles of 4 and 3 years. In 2004, 29 thousand new school teachers began working. 3 million schoolchildren and students study (2004). University named after A. Neto (Luanda) was founded in 1963. 423 teachers work at the agricultural, engineering, medical, law and economics faculties and 6.29 thousand students study (2002). In 1997, the Catholic University of Angola was created in Lubango. The University of South Africa (SA) has opened its correspondence department in Angola via the Internet. There are research institutes of agrochemistry (Huambo), veterinary medicine (Lubango), geology and medicine (both are located in Luanda). In 2002, the National Petroleum Institute was created - the only university in Africa engaged in special training for the oil, geological exploration and mining sectors of the economy. In 1998, 42% of the population were literate (men - 56%, women - 28%).

Healthcare.

Hepatitis, intestinal infectious diseases (32% of the population has access to clean drinking water), measles, malaria, meningitis, trypanosomiasis (“sleeping sickness”), tuberculosis, schistomatosis, etc. Cases of typhus have been registered. The main health problems are related to the low standard of living of the vast majority of the country's population (45% of children suffer seriously from malnutrition). Besides high level mortality of newborns, there is a high mortality rate among children under 5 years of age. Only 27% of children under 1 year of age receive required vaccinations. In 2001–2003, with the assistance of international organizations, more than 7 million children were vaccinated against measles.

In 2001, there were 350 thousand people with AIDS and HIV-infected people (5.5% of the population), 24 thousand people died. For every 1000 people in 1997 there were 0.08 doctors (the shortage of doctors and medical personnel is explained, among other things, by the mass departure of Portuguese specialists from the country after independence). In 2000, health care expenditures amounted to 3.6% of GDP.

Press, radio broadcasting, television, Internet.

Daily newspapers are published in Portuguese: Jornal de Angola (Angolan Newspaper - party and government newspaper), Diário da República - Government Newspaper, monthly newspaper Leader do Trabalhador" (A Voz do Trabalhador - "Voice of the Worker"), newspaper "Progresso" ("Progress"). The magazines "Mensagem" ("Message") and "Novembro" ("November") are published. The Angolan news agency AIN (Agencia Angola Press, ANGOP) has been operating since 1978. State-owned national radio and television have been broadcasting since 1975. There is an official government website on the Internet. There are 41 thousand people. Internet Users (2002).

Tourism.

The country has good conditions for the development of the tourism industry - a variety of natural landscapes, rich flora and fauna, beautiful waterfalls (Duque de Braganza on the Lucala River, as well as Kambabwe and Luando on the Kwanza River), conditions for sport fishing and the original culture of the local peoples The development of tourism is significantly hampered by the presence of a large number of unrecovered mines left after the civil war. In 1997, 45.14 thousand foreign tourists visited Angola, in 2001 – 67.38 thousand: from Portugal (12.60 thousand people), France (9.13 thousand people), England, Brazil, Spain , Norway, USA, Philippines and South Africa. In 2001, 1,726 Russian tourists visited the country (in 1999 – 1,365 people).

Sights: in Luanda - the Angola Museum, the Museum of Slavery and the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, the Portuguese fortress of San Miguel (17th century), the ethnographic museum in Cabinda, the Dundu Museum in the town of the same name, as well as archaeological and anthropological museums in the city .Bengela, Iona, Cameo, Kisama and Milando national parks.

Visa regime. Visa-free transit is not permitted. Entrants must provide a medical certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. The import of foreign currency is not limited (declaration is required). It is exchanged in banks and exchange offices; there is a black market for currency. The export of national currency is prohibited. The export of weapons, unprocessed precious stones and handicrafts from Ivory. The national cuisine combines African and Portuguese culinary traditions. Hot sauce popular piri-piri hot pepper (served with chicken, shrimp and fish). When planning travel around the country, you need to consider holidays: January 1, February 4, March 8, May 1, September 17, November 3 and 11, December 10 and 25.

Architecture and fine arts.

Folk dwellings among the peoples inhabiting Angola are usually rectangular in shape, but there are also huts that are round in plan. They are placed on a frame made of stakes entwined with tree twigs or coated with clay. Roofs made of grass or thatch are gabled or laid in the form of a tent. Doors and walls are decorated with burnt or painted designs and carved figures of people, spirits and animals. Some peoples build their huts on wooden stilts. Buildings made of reinforced concrete structures and glass have become a hallmark of modern large cities.

The visual arts of Angola have their origins long before our era. – rock paintings in Kaningiri date back to 5–8 thousand BC. Traditional sculpture (cult objects, figurines of sea monsters and fetishes made of wood, stone and ivory) among the peoples of Cabinda, brightly colored sculptural compositions among the Yak people, as well as female figurines resembling antelopes among the Chokwe are distinctive.

Among professional Angolan artists there are many world-famous masters - Victor Teixeira (pseudonym “Viteix”), Antonio Ole, Roberto Silva. The National Union of Angolan Artists (UNAP) operates. There are several art galleries in Luanda (Viteix, the gallery of the Union of Angolan Artists, etc.). In 1999–2002, Moscow hosted exhibitions of works by contemporary Angolan artists - Alvaro Macieira, Victor Manuel Teixeira (“Vito”), Jorge Gumbe, Francisco Van Dunem (“Vana”) and Feliciana Dias dos Santos (“Kida”).

Among the crafts and arts, wood carving (the production of ritual masks and figurines that decorate the doors of houses, household utensils and furniture), pottery (molded ceramics are decorated with impaled ornaments), as well as weaving mats and dishes from wood fiber with a geometric pattern of red and black color.

Literature.

Began to develop from the second floor. 19th century (mostly in Portuguese). A book was published in 1891 Folk wisdom in Angolan proverbs local writer and folklorist J. Dias Cordeiro da Matta. The first poets were J. da Silva Mai Ferreira, J. Dias Cordeiro da Matta. Major writers: Agostinho Neto, Alda Lara, Antonio Jacinto, Antonio Cardoso, Jose Luandino da Vieira, Octaviano Correia, etc. One of the youngest (27 years old) and popular contemporary writers is Ndalu de Almeida (pseudonym Onjaki). In 2002 his new book was published - Inari, the girl with five pigtails. In the same year, his poetry collection was published in Portugal. Bloody act. Modern young poets - Graciano Francisco Dominogosa, Luis Kanjimbu and others. Since 2001, Angola annually participates in the Moscow International Book Fair. At the next exhibition in 2004, several hundred books from Angolan publishers were presented.

Music.

It has ancient traditions and is distinguished by ethnic diversity. Music exists in an inextricable connection with dance, an important element of which is rhythm. Original ritual dances batuke(among the Kongo people) kauema(“fire dance” by Nangela), numbers(among Chokwe), etc. When performing traditional music, accompanying songs and dances, various drums (puita, etc.) and xylophones (kissanji, marimba), shingongu guitar, longu bells, otiikumbu lyre, mbulumbumba musical bow, 3-string violin are used kalyal, Pan flutes, etc. Composers: Mashado J.M., Mukenga F., F. da Sis, etc.

The music of Angola also absorbed the traditions of Portuguese musical culture, and in the 20th century. she is influenced by Latin American melodies and modern pop culture. National popular music has been developing since the 1950s. Since 1978, colorful so-called events have been held in the capital. "victory carnivals" The 24th carnival was already held in 2002. In the 1900s–2000s, the performances of the dance ensemble “Moyo Etu” were popular.

Theater and cinema.

Theatrical extravaganzas since the 17th century. accompanied church holidays in religious schools organized at monasteries and churches. The first semi-professional theater group, called Providencia, arose in Luanda in 1847. In the 1960s and 1970s, the CTA Theater (the name's acronym in Portuguese) and the Angolan Theater Club were active. After independence, most theater workers (Europeans) left the country. Amateur groups began to be created. Documentary chronicles have been developing since the second half of the 1970s (11-episode film I am Angolan and I work hard, Volodya, people's commander dir. L. Vieira and others). First feature film - Be brave, comrade!– filmed by director R. Duarte di Carvalho in 1977. Filming of the feature film began in 2003 Empty city(about the national tragedy - the 27-year civil war) jointly produced by Angolan-French. Directors: Maria João and François Gonot.

STORY

Ancient history.

Archaeological finds confirm the fact of human habitation on the territory of modern Angola back in the Neolithic era. It was inhabited by the ancestors of the modern San (Bushmen), who were engaged in hunting and gathering. In the 5th–6th centuries. they were pushed to the southern regions by the agricultural and pastoral Bantu tribes who came from the north and knew iron smelting. The first early state formation - Congo with its capital Mbanza-Kongo - arose on the territory of modern Angola in the 13th century. It occupied the northern regions, but the power of the manikongo (supreme ruler) extended beyond the borders of this state. Congo was the largest and most developed early state in Angola. Its heyday was from the 15th to the first half of the 16th centuries; it collapsed at the end. 19th century In the pre-colonial period, there were also state and political associations of Benguela, Kassanji (17th - early 19th centuries), Lunda (also known as "Mwata-Yamvo", late 16th - 2nd half of the 19th century, capital - Musumba), Matamba (1635 - late 17th century) and Ndongo (15th - late 17th centuries, capital - Mbanza-Kabasa). The population of these early states was mainly engaged in agriculture, pottery and weaving, and also skillfully smelted metals. In Ndongo, livestock farming and the extraction of nzimbu shells were well developed, which at that time served as a means of exchange in many African countries. It was also distinguished by the presence of a large army.

Colonial period.

The first Europeans to land on the Angolan coast were the Portuguese. In 1482, an expedition led by Diogo Can discovered the mouth of the Congo River, and in 1484 an agreement was concluded with the Manikongo. In the beginning. 16th century The Portuguese built several forts; in 1576, Fort Sao Paulo de Luanda (the modern capital of Luanda) was founded. The influence of Portugal in the Congo intensified during the reign of King M. Nzinga (1506–1543), who converted to Christianity and received the name Afonso I. In the 17th century. Major uprisings of the indigenous population broke out - in 1570 under the leadership of Mbula Matadi, and in 1591 - led by Nsoyo. Attempts by the Portuguese at the end. 16th century to penetrate into the interior of Angola encountered stubborn resistance from the states of Ndongo and Matamba, ruled by Queen Anna Nzinga Mbandi Ngola (she received the Catholic name Anna at baptism in 1622 at the age of 40). She led the anti-Portuguese coalition, which also united the states of Congo and Kassangi. Having concluded a military alliance with the Dutch (ships of the Dutch East India Company landed in Luanda in 1621), she managed to return independence to the Ndongo state in 1648. For 31 years (out of 81 years lived), the brave Anna Nzinga Mbandi Ngola fought against the colonialists, as a result of which the Portuguese seizure of the interior was stopped. The Portuguese succeeded in subjugating Ndongo in 1671, and Matambu in the very end. 17th century

The main source of enrichment for the colonialists was the slave trade, legislated by decree of the Portuguese king on January 11, 1758. (Over three centuries of colonial rule, about 5 million slaves were exported from Angola - mainly to Brazil on coffee, rubber and sugar plantations). Lacking the strength for direct military expansion into the interior of the country, the Portuguese, trying to weaken the resistance of the indigenous population, incited armed conflicts between different peoples. To obtain information about the natural resources of Angola, Portugal organized expeditions by A.F. da Silva Porto (1852–1854) and A.A. Serpa Pinto (1877–1879). The prohibition of the slave trade by the King of Portugal in 1836 (however, slave smuggling continued until 1852) caused serious damage to the colonial economy. At the same time, the internal slave trade continued for several more decades - slave labor was actively used on cotton plantations, as well as rubber harvesting. A system of forced contracting of the local population was introduced, most of the workers were sent to work in salt mines and road construction, some were sent to cocoa plantations on the island of Sao Tome and Principe.

The final boundaries of Angola were determined by the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, convened on the issue of territorial division in the Congo River basin between England, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and France), as well as individual agreements between Portugal and the listed states, signed in 1885–1891. Attempts by Lisbon at the end. 19th century to subjugate the remaining internal territories of the country again encountered resistance from Africans: the uprising of the Bassorongo people (1900), unrest in the Damba, Zombo and Kimbubuge regions (1909–1910), etc. All of them were suppressed by Portuguese troops. After the fall of the monarchy in Portugal (1910) and the introduction of an administrative system in Angola (1920), the exploitation of the colony intensified. The discontent of the indigenous population led to new armed uprisings (uprising in Benguela in 1917, etc.). Introduced in 1929 Political, civil and criminal statute concerning the natives, according to which the African inhabitants of the Portuguese colonies were divided into “indigenos” (natives) and “assimilados” (assimilated). Indigenous were subject to discrimination, forced labor, and arbitrary taxation. Africans who converted to Christianity, are fluent in Portuguese, have a regular income and lead a European lifestyle could become “assimilados.” By 1940, 0.6% of the population (24 thousand people) received the status of “assimilated”. Action Political, civil and criminal statute concerning the natives(indigenata system) abolished in 1961.

The first political organizations of the African population of Angola were the “Angolan League” (founded in 1912, banned in 1922) and the “National African League” (NAL) and the “Regional Association of the Residents of Angola” (RAJA), created in 1929. Their activities were educational in nature. Until Wednesday In the 1950s, the anti-colonial movement was disunited, often taking the form of religious sectarianism - Tokoist sects were created (named after their founder S. Toku), who refused to work on farms owned by Europeans. After Angola was granted the status of an “overseas province” of Portugal (1951), the colony began to strengthen the state-capitalist sector of the economy. After World War II, Angola became one of the world's largest suppliers of coffee, intensive construction of roads began, serving mainly the mining industry (including its new branches - the extraction of oil, manganese and iron ores), and diamond mining volumes increased.

The rise of the anti-colonial movement began in the 1960s. It was led by the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, leader - Agustinho Neto), the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA, leader - Holden Roberto, created in neighboring Congo on the basis of emigrant organizations) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. (UNITA, leader - Jonas Savimbi), created in 1956, 1962 and 1966 respectively. The MPLA was an association of several left-wing political organizations. It advocated the independence of a united Angola, and in 1960 began an armed struggle against the Portuguese colonialists. FNLA and UNITA are anti-colonial separatist movements that relied on the support of the Bakongo (FNLA) and Ovimbundu (UNITA) peoples. On February 4, 1961, the MPLA raised an uprising in Luanda, which resulted in some concessions by the colonial authorities - forced labor was abolished, and the powers of local authorities were expanded. In April 1962, the FNLA independently created the “Provisional Government of Angola in Exile” (GRAE), headed by J. Roberto. In 1961–1972, the MPLA managed to create several military-political regions with elected authorities. The leadership of UNITA agreed to cooperate with the colonial authorities.

The new Portuguese government, formed after the victory of the 1974 revolution, granted Angola the right to independence. On January 15, 1975, an agreement was signed between Portugal, on the one hand, and the MPLA, FNLA and UNITA on the other, on practical ways of transition to independence. It was not possible to form a transitional government due to the outbreak of armed clashes between the MPLA and the FNLA. UNITA took the side of the FNLA, however, the MPLA was able to oust their armed units from the capital. In October, troops from South Africa and Zaire invaded Angola to support the FNLA and UNITA.

Period of independent development.

On November 11, 1975, the independent People's Republic of Angola (PRA) was proclaimed in Luanda. A. Neto became the president of the country. The 1975 Constitution established the leading role of the MPLA in the state. In March 1976, the MPLA army, with the help of arriving Cuban military units, forced the troops of South Africa and Zaire to leave Angola. FNLA and UNITA continued to resist the authorities.

In December 1977, the MPLA was transformed into the vanguard party "MPLA - Labor Party" (MPLA - PT). The government proclaimed the course of building socialism. The country faced serious difficulties: with the outbreak of the civil war, almost all the Portuguese left Angola (including engineers, doctors and other specialists), industrial production fell, most of the coffee and cotton plantations left by the peasants were destroyed by the rebels or fell into disrepair, who were forced to leave their homes to escape attacks by UNITA militants. After the death of A. Neto (September 1979), Jose Eduardo dos Santos became the chairman of the MPLA-PT. The main source of income for the MPLA-PT government was the export of oil, which was produced by American companies. UNITA, which continued to resist the government, from the end. In the 1970s, it began to receive assistance from the United States and other Western countries. She managed to capture significant territories in the south and east of Angola. UNITA's source of stable income (about $600 million per year) was diamonds, large deposits of which were located in the territories under its control. Diamonds were sold through a smuggling network to other African countries, and through intermediaries throughout the world.

In 1988, the NRA, South Africa, the USA, Cuba and the USSR signed the New York Agreement on the cessation of assistance to UNITA from South Africa and the withdrawal of Cuban units from Angola. The internal political settlement in Angola was aggravated by new actions by UNITA, which continued to persistently demand that the authorities establish a multi-party system. Until 1990, mutual accusations of violating the terms of previously reached agreements prevented the warring parties from making peace. Since 1990, MPLA-PT began to be called MPLA again. The party proclaimed a change in the political course of Angola - the achievement of democratic socialism (the term taken from the MPLA program document), a market economy and a multi-party system were named as new goals. With the start of economic reforms in 1991, 100 companies were returned to their previous owners, and up to 48% of the shares of large state-owned enterprises were transferred to private firms. Since August 1992, the country began to be called the “People's Republic of Angola”.

General elections were held on September 29–30, 1992, amid new clashes between the warring factions MPLA and UNITA. Of the 12 candidates in the multi-party presidential election greatest number votes (but without an absolute majority) were gained by Zh.E. dos Santos (49.57%) and J. Savimbi (40.07%). The latter refused to participate in the second round of elections. Zh.E. became the president. dos Santos. In the parliamentary elections, the MPLA received 129 seats, UNITA - 70, Social Renewal Party - 6, FNLA -5, LDP - 3, other parties - 7 seats.

The UNITA leadership did not recognize the election results, did not agree with the distribution of posts in the new government and resumed military operations against the MPLA. Particularly fierce battles took place in the area of ​​Huambo. With the assistance of the UN, on November 22, 1994, the Lusaka Agreements on Peace and National Reconciliation in Angola were concluded. In April 1997, a government of unity and national reconciliation was created, which, in addition to the MPLA, included representatives of UNITA and other opposition parties represented in parliament. In December 1998, after UNITA violated the Lusaka Agreements, large-scale hostilities were resumed. The 60 thousand UNITA militants were armed with hundreds of armored personnel carriers and tanks, heavy and light artillery, several combat aircraft, air defense systems, modern radio communication systems, tens of thousands of small arms purchased with funds from the sale of diamonds. After the fall of the racist regime in South Africa, the main assistance to UNITA was provided by Zaire. However, the ANC, which came to power in the Republic of South Africa, did not immediately manage to establish control over private traders and South African organizations that helped UNITA.

In September 1994, the MPLA government adopted a new investment code, which significantly increased interest in Angola from foreign investors. The US has intensified cooperation with the legitimate MPLA government. Exports of Angolan oil, in the production of which American corporations participated, went mainly to the United States. The war in Angola impeded the normal activities of not only American, but also British, French, Brazilian and Israeli transnational corporations (TNCs) interested in developing the country's mineral resources.

The world community almost unanimously named J. Savimbi as the culprit of the war that broke out in Angola. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution in December 1998, which stated that the root cause of the crisis was the failure of the UNITA leadership to fulfill its obligations under the peace agreements. The European Parliament adopted a resolution the same month with a similar assessment of UNITA's actions. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) joined these decisions in January 1999. The OAU announced its intention to declare UNITA leader J. Savimbi a war criminal. UNITA's bank accounts abroad were frozen; based on the results of the work of two UN expert commissions on Angola (under the leadership of R. Fowler), in 2000 the UN decided to strengthen measures to cut off UNITA's arms supply and diamond smuggling channels. In response to these sanctions, UNITA militants shot down several UN planes and killed several dozen employees of the relief mission. In March 1999, the UN was forced to lower the flag over its headquarters in Angola. In the first half of 1999, the preponderance of forces was on the side of UNITA, but the population did not support its actions. The MPLA government quickly rearmed the army (new weapons were purchased and military equipment in the amount of 1 billion US dollars), and its number was increased to 100 thousand people. There have been reshuffles in the government - control of security ministries and key departments has been transferred to military generals. The UNITA parliamentary group split into three factions: those supporting J. Savimbi, representatives of the UNITA-Renewed party (created after a split in UNITA in September 1998, the Angolan government recognized the party as the official UNITA), the third, largest group, consisted of deputies -centrists.

In September 1999, as a result of a major offensive by government troops, the main UNITA bases were taken - Andulo, Bailundo (the spiritual center of the Ovimbundu people - the ethnic base of UNITA) and Zhamba, and huge arsenals of equipment and weapons were captured, incl. 27 tanks and 40 infantry fighting vehicles. The offensive of government troops continued in 2000. Fearing reprisals, some of the top UNITA officials went over to the side of the legitimate government. UNITA fighters, hastily retreating under the pressure of government troops who launched a counteroffensive, abandoned a large amount of weapons and equipment. UNITA formations again switched to guerrilla warfare methods, captured villages and brutally dealt with civilians. In the beginning. 2000 92 municipal areas of Angola were under the control of government forces (including 11 of the 13 areas where diamonds are mined). UNITA prevented the establishment of normal life in the liberated areas: militants attacked orphanages, took children hostage, and kidnapped priests and government officials. The forced mobilization of boys aged 10–14 years began, whom the militants used in battles and punitive expeditions. On February 22, 2002, as a result of a military operation by government troops in the province of Mochico, J. Savimbi was killed. On April 4 of the same year, the UNITA leadership, weakened after the death of its leader, signed a ceasefire agreement. However, isolated militant groups in remote areas continued to rob and kill civilians.

As a result of the long civil war, the Angolan economy was almost completely destroyed, approx. half a million Angolans, more than 50% of the adult population were unemployed, and 3/4 of the inhabitants were in extreme poverty. Inflation in 1990–1995 was 500%; in 1996 it reached a record level of 1650%. In 1999, revenues received by the government from oil exports helped reduce inflation to 329%.

Angola in the 21st century

In December 2002, the first post-war budget was approved (amended in April 2003). In April 2003, the government also considered new laws regarding the investment regime for foreign firms. The basis of Angola's economy is the extraction of oil and diamonds. In terms of oil production, the country ranks 2nd in Africa (after Nigeria). In the 1980–1990s, the pace of development of the oil and gas industry in Angola was one of the highest among African countries. Foreign partners in joint ventures are the largest TNCs - the American group Chevron-Texaco (owns 39.2% of the assets of enterprises in Cabinda), the French-Belgian company Total-Finna-Elf and the Italian Agip-ENI. The Angolan state, represented by the Sonangol company, owns 20–41% of the assets of the country's oil joint ventures.

Angola's share in world diamond production is 15% (after South Africa, Botswana and Russia, it ranks 4th in the world). A serious problem for the government is illegal diamond mining (according to unofficial data, 290 thousand people are employed in underground diamond mining). In January 2004, in the province of Bie, the first operation of the Angolan armed forces in the post-war period was carried out, aimed against clandestine diamond mining.

In October 2003, President Zh.E. dos Santos said that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will not be held until 2005, since for them to be held, 14 preconditions must be met, primarily the adoption of a new constitution. In the same year, a special commission was created to develop a new constitution. It included 25 representatives of the MPLA and 15 from UNITA. The opposition demanded that general elections be held no later than the end of 2005. In December 2003, Zh.E. dos Santos was re-elected chairman of the MPLA.

The Angolan government faces a set of complex post-war development tasks - the fight against hunger and poverty (thousands of people die from hunger, the country ranks 5th in the world in terms of infant mortality), restoration of war-damaged infrastructure, destruction of anti-personnel mines (in the provinces of Huambo, There are approximately 4 thousand minefields left in Mochique, Malanje and others), problems associated with the settlement of returning Angolan refugees, as well as the transition of former militants to peaceful life. As a result of the dissolution of the rebel forces (completed by mid-2003), approx. 90 thousand people More than 35 camps have been created to temporarily accommodate them, as well as their families. The last source of tension remains the oil-rich (89% of Angolan oil production) province of Cabinda, in which at the beginning. In 2004, the activities of the separatist group FLEC intensified (it has been active since 1975, since the second half of the 1990s it has undertaken only small actions). The separatists put forward a demand for the secession of the province, whose population supposedly constitutes an ethnic community separate from the Angolans.

Since 2003, the investments of the American oil company Chevron-Texaco in the implementation of three oil exploration projects on the Angolan shelf (calculated for 2003–2005) amounted to approx. $9 billion. The circle of consumers of Angolan oil is expanding - having supplanted Saudi Arabia, Angola has become the largest oil exporter to China. GDP growth in 2003 was 7.14% (in 2002 – 3.5%). Inflation in 2002 was reduced to 106%.

A serious problem for Angola is the reduction in foreign aid. The IMF accuses the Angolan government of corruption and mismanagement. Between 1997 and 2002, $4.2 billion (10% of GDP) in oil revenues “disappeared” from Angolan public accounts, the amount the government claimed was spent on social needs. The IMF said that further international assistance to the country should be provided only if it maintains transparency in the expenditure of state budget items. An obstacle to new investments by Portugal in the Angolan economy is Angola's unpaid debt (as of August 2004, 25% of the debt was paid - 258 million US dollars).

In May 2004, after unsuccessful attempts to persuade the government to hold elections in 2005, representatives of opposition parties resigned from the commission to develop a new constitution. A government report released in July 2004 stated that the simultaneous organization of presidential and parliamentary elections requires an amount of $430 million, and the preparation time for them is estimated at 9-18 months. In August 2004, the MPLA government announced a provisional date for general elections of September 2006.

The Angolan Parliament adopted a new constitution on January 21, 2010, which strengthens presidential power and declares all land the property of the state. The country's new constitution was approved yesterday by 186 out of 220 parliamentarians.
Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who has led the country for the past 30 years, will remain in office at least until 2012, when the country will hold parliamentary elections.

Lyubov Prokopenko

Literature:

Recent history Africa. M., “Science”, 1968
Khazanov A.M., Pritvorov A.A. Angola. M., “Thought”, 1979
Fituni L.L. People's Republic of Angola. Directory. M., “Science”, 1985
Zotov N.M. Angola: the fight continues. M., “Science”, 1985
Doria Jose. Economic sovereignty of Angola. M., “International Relations”, 1997
Khazanov A.M. History of Angola in modern and contemporary times. M., 1999
Encyclopedia of African Peoples. L., 2000
Agustinho Neto. Biographical sketch(translated from Portuguese by Tokarev A.A.). M., 2001
Brief historical encyclopedia in 2 volumes: Phenomena of the century. Countries. People. M., “Science”, 2001
Modern African leaders. Political portraits. M., Publishing House "XXI Century-Consent", 2001
Andresen Guimarães, F. The Origins of the Angolan Civil War: Foreign Intervention and Domestic Political Conflict. Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2001
40 years together. M., 2002
Angola. 25 years of independence: results and prospects. M., 2002
The World of Learning 2003, 53rd Edition. L.-N.Y.: Europa Publications, 2002
Angola: ethnic groups and nations. M., 2003
Africa South of the Sahara. 2004. L.-N.Y.: Europa Publications, 2003
African Development Indicators 2003. The World Bank. Washington, 2003



People's Republic of Angola, state in 3. Africa. Modern The name Angola is taken from the name of the state that existed on its territory in the 15th-17th centuries, Ndongo or, according to the title of its supreme ruler, Ngola. Portugal. conquerors who invaded... Geographical encyclopedia

Angola- Angola. Waterfall on the river Kwanzaa. ANGOLA (Republic of Angola), a state in South West Africa, is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Area 1246.7 thousand km2. Population 10.6 million people Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Kongo, etc. The official language is Portuguese.… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Republic of Angola), a state in South-West Africa, washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Area 1246.7 thousand km2. Population 10.6 million people Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Congo, etc. The official language is Portuguese. Adheres to traditional beliefs... ... Modern encyclopedia

- (Angola), People's Republic of Angola, a state in West Africa. Ancient rock carvings of animals, mainly of a geometric nature, have been preserved on the territory of Angola. In medieval state formations... ... Art encyclopedia

ANGOLA- (Angola), People's Republic of Angola (Republica Popular de Angola), NRA, state in Western Africa. Pl. 1246.7 t. km2. Us. 8.1 million hours (1982). Capital Luanda (874 residential areas, with suburbs, 1981). Before independence was declared in 1975, A. ownership... ... Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary

Angola- Angola, official name. Republic of Angola (Angola, The Republic of Angola)AngolaThe Republic of Angola, a state in West Africa, washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and bordered by Namibia in the south, Zambia in the east, Congo and Zaire in the north... ... Countries of the world. Dictionary

- (Angola), People's Republic of Angola (Repъblica Popular de Angola), state in South West Africa. It borders on the north and northeast with the Congo and Zaire, on the southeast with Zambia, on the south with Namibia, and on the west by the Atlantic. OK. Pl. 1246.7 thousand km2. Hac. OK. 7.2 million... Geological encyclopedia

- (own name). Oblong blue raisins from Bologna. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Noun, number of synonyms: 1 country (281) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

Angola- (Angola), state in the South-West. Africa, located north of Namibia. The coast was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, but only in the 19th century. after the wars with Ovimbundu, Ambo, Humbo and Kuvale, the Portuguese, penetrating deep into the country, began to develop it... ... The World History

ANGOLA- Territory 1247 thousand sq. km, population 9 million people. The main crops are coffee, sisal, cotton, corn, rice, bananas. The main cattle breeding base is located in the south of the country, as well as in the central plateau. Cattle are bred... World sheep farming

Angola on the map

The official language of Angola is Portuguese. In addition to this, the indigenous people speak several African dialects. Slightly more than half of the population professes Christianity: 38% of them are Catholics, and 15% are Protestants. Other Angolans prefer traditional local beliefs. There are about 90 religious sects registered in the country, and their number is growing every year. Since September 2015, Islam has been officially banned in Angola and all mosques have been closed.

Geographically, the country is divided into three regions. The Atlantic coast is occupied by a coastal plain ranging from 50 to 150 km wide. In the center and west there is a plateau - the Angolan Plateau, which covers 90% of the entire territory. Its highest point is Mount Moko (2620 m). There is a transition zone between the coast and the mountains, which consists of wide terraces.

The long-term civil war and other military clashes in Angola ceased at the beginning of the 21st century. The country has rich natural resources and is just beginning to reveal its tourism potential. Hotel services and tourism infrastructure here are still at the stage of formation.

Climate

In the west of Angola, a tropical trade wind climate prevails. Since the cold Benguela Current runs along the coast, the air on the plains is colder than on the plateau. Its temperature reaches +24...+26 °C in the warmest month of the year - March and up to +16...+20 °C in the coldest month - July. There is little precipitation, and especially little rain falls in the southern part of the country, in the Namib Desert.

The territory of the Angolan plateau is located in the equatorial monsoon climate zone. From October to May there is a wet, rainy summer in the mountains, and from June to September there is a dry winter. Air temperature is determined by altitude above sea level. In mountainous areas, compared to lowlands, it is always cooler and there is more precipitation.

In the south of Angola, in the desert, there are quite strong temperature changes. Sometimes at night the thermometer can drop to 0 °C.

What to see in Angola

The coastline of Angola stretches along the Atlantic Ocean for a distance of 1650 km. There are many good beaches and excellent conditions for windsurfing and diving. The best equipped beach areas are those managed by seaside hotels.

Fans of sport fishing go to the large city of Tombwa, which is located on the coast in the Namib region. The coastal waters are home to many species of fish, sea turtles, crustaceans and molluscs. Black whales often swim here. According to experts, the biodiversity of the ocean off the coast of Angola is in no way inferior to the Caribbean Sea.

Eco-tourism is popular in Angola. Almost half of Angolan land is covered with forests and savannas. The densest forest areas are located in the north-west of Angola. The country has national parks - Iona, Kissama, Cameo and Milando, where they provide the opportunity for rare and endangered species of local fauna to survive and reproduce: red buffalo, manati and sea turtles.

Elephants live in the vast savannas, different types antelopes, zebras, monkeys, warthogs, lions, jackals, cheetahs and leopards. Unfortunately, the number of cheetahs and elephants has decreased significantly due to constant poaching, but the Angolan authorities are making every possible effort to eradicate this evil.

The country is covered by an extensive river network. Angolan rivers belong to the Zambezi and Congo basins. They are swift and rapids, and the water level in the rivers is highly dependent on monsoon rains. The Kwanza, Cubango, Quito and Cunene are the country's largest rivers and are home to hippopotamuses.

In some places, tourists go river rafting on bamboo rafts. The largest waterfall in Angola, Duqui di Braganza, the picturesque Luando and Cambabwe waterfalls on the Kwanza River, as well as tours to the desert expanses of the Namib, are very popular among travelers.

The unique culture of local African tribes attracts lovers of ethnographic tourism. In different parts of Angola, tribes have been preserved leading an original way of life. In ethnic villages, tourists are shown ritual costumes, interesting rituals and traditional folk dances. Here you can also hear musical instruments played. The Angolans are excellent at drums, the shinglu guitar, the ringing longu bells, similar to the Kissanji and marimba xylophones, as well as the mbulumbumba musical bow.

One of the most revered places by indigenous Angolans is the Black Stones, which stand near the small town of Pungo Andongo, 115 km from Melange. They are large-sized frozen volcanic lava emissions. Many local legends associated with this natural attraction have been preserved. According to one of them, the Angolan queen Zinga Mbandi Ngola, who ruled in the 17th century, walked here. The Angolans honor her for her active opposition to the Portuguese colonialists. The queen united several neighboring tribes and founded the state of Matambu in the central part of Angola.

Architecture and decorative arts

The traditional homes of the indigenous people of Angola are rectangular, one-story houses with a flat roof. Due to poverty, Angolans do not often replace their roofs, so you can see buildings everywhere with a lot of stones on their roofs. There are no such stones on the homes of wealthier Angolans.

In Angolan villages there are round huts made of clay using a frame of wooden stakes. The roof for these houses is made of grass and reeds. It can be gable or made in the form of a tent. Almost all doorways and walls of buildings are decorated with carved or painted images of animals, birds and spirits. Some tribes build houses on wooden stilts, and in cities they use modern building materials and technologies.

The first works of fine art in Angola include rock paintings in Kaningiri, which were painted by Africans in the 8-5 millennia BC. Nowadays, wood carving is widely developed in Angola. Craftsmen make ritual masks, furniture, figurines for decorating homes and household items.

The Angolans know how to make good ceramics. Often clay products are decorated with pinned ornaments. They excellently weave dishes and mats from tree fibers. All these products are distinguished by a multi-colored geometric pattern.

Sights of Luanda

The country's capital is located on the Atlantic coast, near the mouth of the Kwanza River. divided into Lower and Upper towns. The lower city is built along a semicircular bay and boasts architectural monuments from the colonial era. Graceful forms, interesting decoration and a mixture of Baroque and Classical styles are represented by buildings erected by the Portuguese, Spanish, French, Americans and Americans. As a legacy from the Portuguese, the city has street signs made of ceramic tiles, and on the paved sidewalks you can see elegant mosaics.

Christian churches have been opened in Luanda - the Jesuit Church, the Temple of the Madonna of Nazareth and the Church of the Carmelites. While walking around the capital, it is interesting to visit the San Miguel fortress, built in the 17th century. It was the first defensive structure of the European type to appear on the territory of the country. Today, the perfectly preserved ancient fort houses the Central Museum of the Armed Forces. Many beautiful mansions have been built in the Upper Town. Here are the buildings of government agencies, the local university, the seminary and the Cathedral.

The Angola Museum has been opened in the capital, which exhibits rich collections on the history and ethnography of the country. Many tourists also visit slavery and military museums. In addition, Luanda has interesting art galleries to explore, with large collections of paintings and graphics. They exhibit works by famous Angolan artists whose work has received international recognition - Antonio Ole, Roberto Silva and Victor Teixeira (Viteixa).

From the capital of Angola, travelers go on eco-tours. Their routes run through virgin forests located near the city, just 30-40 minutes drive from the central bus station. The wild savannah is home to many species of animals and birds, but to travel there it is better to use the services of an experienced guide.

Local kitchen

The indigenous people of Angola traditionally eat at home. This is caused by a shortage of catering establishments and low levels of sanitary standards in snack bars, cafes and restaurants. Thanks to the government program for tourism development, the number of cafes, restaurants and bars with an acceptable level of service is constantly growing. Especially many such establishments are opened in Luanda and other large cities.

Several centuries of Portuguese colonization had a great influence on the local cuisine. Nowadays, it combines the culinary customs of local African tribes and Portuguese traditions. In addition, the Portuguese, as Catholics, taught the Angolans to observe fasting days.

Locals love tasty and filling food. Dishes made from seafood, legumes, corn, rice, and soups are popular in Angola. Many places prepare kakusso, tilapia fried in palm oil. Chicken, fish, shrimp and even vegetable dishes are often seasoned with piri-piri sauce made from hot peppers. Salads are made from locally grown vegetables and herbs, but Angolans like to use imported bananas and tomatoes to prepare them.

Several varieties of grapes are grown in the south of the country. Winemaking is developed here.

Souvenirs

As souvenirs of their trip to Angola, travelers usually bring ceremonial African masks, figurines carved from wood, as well as stone and bronze crafts. Textiles, clay vases, jugs and trays, wicker baskets, crafts made from straw, reeds and dry grass, mats with geometric patterns, tribal costumes and malachite jewelry are popular as souvenirs. Culinary experts also value local spices.

Markets and shops where you can buy souvenirs are everywhere. Near Luanda, the most visited market is the Benfica market.

Transport

The main type of public transport in Angola is minibuses, painted blue on the bottom and white on the top. The price of travel by bus or minibus is $0.5-1, but foreign tourists are not recommended to use public transport. It is believed that it is easier and safer for them to travel by taxi. For short distances, a taxi ride costs $5-6.

In Angola, you drive on the right. Renting a passenger vehicle costs $45-55 per day, but driving on roads within the country is quite problematic, since most of them are in a broken state. In addition, in the event of a breakdown, it is almost impossible to contact a service center or emergency service. Those tourists who still decided to go to independent travel When traveling by car to the countryside, they try to stock up on tools in advance to repair the car on their own.

Airplanes fly from the coast inland. Such services are very popular among tourists and local residents. The flight costs from $100. Another option for traveling within the country is railways. There are three railway lines across Angola, and travel on them is inexpensive.

Safety

Due to begging and cases of hooliganism among the local population, tourists are not recommended to walk the city streets alone, especially at night. We must also not forget that pickpocketing is common in markets, transport and shops. It is relatively safe and quiet only on those streets that are guarded by law enforcement officers.

Local drivers do not follow the rules traffic, so crossing the street can be a problem. You need to be careful anywhere - both at unregulated intersections and where traffic lights are installed.

Cameras and video cameras should be used with caution in public places. In Angola, filming of military installations, government buildings and local government officials in blue uniforms is discouraged.

Currency

The local currency is the Kwanzaa (AOA). You can exchange money at bank branches, exchange offices and hotels. In Luanda and big cities this is not difficult. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 16.00, and exchange offices are open from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 to 11.00. In the provinces, currency exchange becomes a whole problem. It is prohibited to take kwanzas out of Angola, and any currency that remains unspent must be exchanged before departure.

In Angola, travelers face the problem of using credit cards or traveler's checks. They are accepted only in some capital hotels, restaurants and shops, so traveling to places other than Luanda requires cash.

Visa and customs restrictions

To visit Angola, you must obtain a visa and have a medical certificate confirming that you have been vaccinated against yellow fever. Obtaining a visa usually takes two weeks. A single-entry tourist visa is valid for a month. Russian citizens traveling around the country for up to 30 days do not need registration. Those staying in Angola for a longer period must register.

You can import cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and food into the country duty-free, within the limits of personal needs. Foreign currency can also be imported without restrictions, but must be declared. It is strictly prohibited to export or import any weapons, drugs, unprocessed precious stones, as well as products made from ivory, turtle shells and shellfish.

• Public organizations, shops and bank branches, as a rule, are open only on weekdays, starting at 8.00. Moreover, some of them are not open full day.
• The national holiday - Angolan Independence Day - is celebrated on November 11.
• The local population mainly lives by subsistence farming. Food sold to tourists is more expensive than in other African countries. This is primarily due to high inflation. A dozen eggs can be bought for $5, 1 liter of milk for $2.5, 1 kg of cheese for $17-20, a bottle of wine for $3. Lunch at the cafe will cost $35.
• Hotel accommodation is also expensive. A day in a 2* hotel in Luanda costs from $100, and in a 5* hotel – about $500. Most hotels are concentrated in the Atlantic coast area. There are very few 5* hotels. In the rest of Angola, only family hotels with a minimum level of service are open.
• Many tourists, going to Angola, prefer to rent accommodation. It is cheaper than hotels, but costs more than in many countries around the world. To rent a two-room apartment in the capital you will need to spend from $7,000 per month, and a three-room apartment – ​​from $20,000.
• When going for a walk in Angola, it is better to have a supply of drinking water with you, since you can’t buy bottled water in all places. The same applies to medications. When traveling, a personal first aid kit never hurts.
• Most of the country's residents do not speak English, so tourists should have phrase books with them.
Zimbabwe

By sea. The cities and Lobito have ports that receive passenger ships from around the world. Ships from Namibia also dock at these and other ports on the country's Atlantic coast.

By bus. Regular bus services connect the territories of Angola and Namibia. There are especially many buses and minibuses running between the border cities of these two states.