fled.
The Portuguese departed without leaving a trained white-collar workforce who
could run the government. This left three
main guerilla groups in charge. In January
1975, the MPLA (Popular Movement for
the Liberation of Angola), the FNLA (National Front for the Liberation of Angola)
and UNITA (National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola), founded by Jonas Savimbi in 1966, established a transitional government for the country.
Within two months, the new government failed and Angola slid into a civil
war that lasted for the next 27 years. During the war, the United States, South Africa and China supported UNITA and the
FNLA and the Soviet Union and Cuba
backed the MPLA. As many as 1.5 million
people were killed and four million people
displaced by the conflict.
By early 1976, the MPLA, supported by
37,000 Cuban troops and a host of other
cease-fire. UNITA gave up its armed wing
and assumed the role of major opposition
party, successfully ending the war.
Since then, the political situation in
Angola has begun to stabilize somewhat,
although current president Jose Eduardo
Dos Santos so far has failed to institute
regular democratic processes. He held legislative elections in September 2008 and
Neal Lineback
announced plans for presidential elections
in 2009.
and Mandy Lineback Gritzner
Angola’s major problems include a serious humanitarian crisis resulting from the
lengthy civil war, an abundance of minefields throughout the countryside and a
damaged or undeveloped infrastructure.
Near the end of March, Pope Benedict
The country is further destabilized by
XVI made a weeklong tour of Africa. His
guerilla groups who are fighting for the
last stop was Angola, a country with a Cathindependence of the northern exclave of
olic population of more than 55 percent.
Cabinda.
Marked by extreme poverty and one of AfSurprisingly, Angola has a high rate of
rica’s highest infant mortality rates, Angola
economic growth, primarily from its oil
also boasts some of the most substantial oil
sector. Oil contributes 85 percent of the
and diamond reserves on
country’s gross domestic
the continent.
product. Angola is rich in
The Pope’s Visit to Angola
Angola is located on the
other natural resources as
southwest coast of Africa,
well, including diamonds,
CONGO
extending inland to the
gold, extensive forests
DEM. REPUBLIC
heart of the continent’s
and Atlantic fisheries. But
OF THE CONGO
Cabinda
southern peninsula. To the
to take full advantage of
(ANGOLA)
north lies the Democratic
them, the country will
Republic of Congo, Zamhave to implement govbia is to the east and Naernment reforms and reLuanda
mibia is to the south.
duce corruption.
With an area of 481,354
For now, the wealth
©2009
square miles (1.2 million
from Angola’s natural reANGOLA
sq. km.), Angola is twice
source base does not trickSOUTH
A
T
L
A
N
T
I
C
the area of Texas. Angola
le down to most Angolans.
Luena
OCEAN
has a population of close
Their general situation reHuambo
to 13 million. This populamains desperate and while
Lobito
tion consists of three Afrisubsistence
agriculture
ZAMBIA
can Bantu ethnic groups,
provides the main liveliNamibe
the largest of which is the
hood for most people, half
Ovimbundu (37 percent),
of Angola’s food must still
followed by the Kimbunbe imported.
du (25 percent) and the
Hundreds of thousands
Bakongo (13 percent). The
of Angolans heard Pope
0
300 mi
remaining 25 percent is
Benedict XVI speak near
NAMIBIA
0
300 km
composed of smaller tribAngola’s capital, Luanda,
Geography in the News 05/22/09
C. Franko/M. Johnson
al groups and people of
during his African tour.
mixed racial composition,
The Pope denounced the
referred to as mestizo.
corruption rampant in
Portugal claimed Anthe oil-rich country and
Sources: GITN #615, “U.S.-backed Angolan Rebel Dead,” March 15, 2002;
gola as a colony in 1885,
encouraged Angolans to
and https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ao.html
calling it Portuguese West
strive for better lives. PosAfrica. More than a million
itive change in Angola,
Portuguese immigrated to
however, is slow.
the colony in the early 1900s. By the 1950s,
African soldiers, subdued rebels in the
And that is Geography in the News™.
when African countries were gaining their
countryside and successfully seized the
May 22, 2009. #990.
independence from the Europeans, Angobulk of Angola. Nonetheless, the conflict
Co-authors are Neal Lineback, Appalachian
lans sought freedom from Portugal. A civil
continued.
State University Professor Emeritus of
war ensued between 1961 and 1975, when
When UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi,
Geography, and Geographer Mandy Lineback
independence finally was won. By then,
was killed in combat in early 2002, the two
Gritzner. University News Director Jane
most residents of Portuguese ancestry had
major rebel factions in Angola reached a
Nicholson serves as technical editor.
Geography
In The
News™
ANGOLA AND
THE POPE
©2009 Maps.com