Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Zambia, and Namibia. The Atlantic

Ocean lies to the west. The small oilrich

area of Cabinda is separated from

the rest of Angola by a strip of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A plateau, or raised land, covers the eastern

two thirds of Angola. Mountains

separate the plateau from the coast.

Lowlands lie along the coast and near

the Congo River.

Angola has a warm, tropical climate,

with a rainy season that lasts from October

to mid-May. The southwest is dry,

while the northeast is humid.

Plants and Animals

Rain forests once covered Angola, but

loggers and farmers cut down many of

the trees. Angola now has many savannas,

or grasslands with scattered trees.

Civil war and hunting have endangered

many animals, including African

elephants, black rhinoceroses, giant sable

antelopes, and Angolan giraffes. Angola

also has leopards, lions, hyenas,

elephants, hippopotamuses, zebras, and

buffalo. Many birds and a wide variety

of reptiles, including crocodiles, live

there, too.

People

Bantu peoples make up most of Angola’s

population. The two largest groups are

the Ovimbundu and the Mbundu.

Groups of San live in the southeast. Portuguese

is the official language. How-

Houses with thatched roofs line a hillside in

Angola.

122 Angola BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

ever, the people speak such local Bantu

languages as Umbundu, Kimbundu, and

others. Traditional religions have largely

given way to Christianity. A majority of

the Christians are Roman Catholics.

Economy

Angola’s economy is based on its natural

resources of petroleum (oil), natural gas,

and diamonds. Agriculture, fishing, and

manufacturing play smaller roles in the

economy. Farmers raise cassava, corn,

sugarcane, sweet potatoes, bananas,

cattle, and goats. Manufacturers make

food products, beer, shoes, and fabric.

History

Ancient peoples in what is now Angola

practiced ironworking and agriculture.

Eventually Bantu peoples set up a number

of kingdoms. The most powerful of

these was the Kongo kingdom around

the Congo River. It was founded in the

1300s.

Portuguese explorers arrived in 1483.

The Kongo kingdom traded ivory, hides,

and slaves for European firearms. By the

early 1600s Portugal was exporting

5,000 to 10,000 slaves from Luanda

every year, especially to Brazil. Portugal

slowly expanded its control of Angola.

Some Angolan leaders fought the Portuguese,

but others worked with them.

Portugal continued the slave trade in

Angola until the mid-1800s.

In 1961 Angolans took up arms against

Portugal, and violent fighting lasted for

14 years. The two main independence

groups were the Popular Movement for

the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and

the National Union for the Total

Independence of Angola (UNITA).

Cuban troops and Soviet arms

supported the MPLA, while South

Africa and the United States provided

aid to UNITA.

Angola won independence in 1975. The

MPLA gained control of the government.

UNITA challenged its power,

however, and fighting broke out. A devastating

civil war lasted until the leader

of UNITA died in 2002. After that, the

MPLA had firm control of Angola. The

country slowly rebuilt from the war.

..More to explore

Africa • Luanda • Portugal • Slavery

Masks from Angola are on display at a

museum. Facts About

ANGOLA

Population

(2008 estimate)

12,531,000

Area

481,354 sq mi

(1,246,700 sq

km)

Capital

Luanda

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Luanda, Huambo,

Lobito, Benguela,

Namibe

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Angola 123

 

Animal

Animals are living things. Like plants,

animals need food and water to live.

Unlike plants, which make their own

food, animals feed themselves by eating

plants or other animals. Animals can

also sense what goes on around them.

Their bodies allow them to move in

reaction to their surroundings. They use

their senses and movement to find food,

mates, and safety.

Millions of different kinds of animals

live on Earth. Animals are found

throughout the world, from the freezing

polar zones to the hottest deserts. They

live on land and in the water. They

come in a huge variety of shapes and

sizes.

Scientists divide animals into two main

groups. Animals that have a backbone

are called vertebrates. Animals that do

not have a backbone are called invertebrates.

About 95 percent of all animals

are invertebrates.

Invertebrates

Some invertebrates have a soft, unprotected

body—for example, sponges,

jellyfish, and worms. Most soft-bodied

invertebrates have no legs. Many live in

water, but some worms live on land.

Other invertebrates have a covering to

protect their body. Animals called

echinoderms—for example, starfish and

sea urchins—have tough skin covered in

stiff points. These animals all live in

oceans. Many mollusks, including oysters

and snails, have a hard shell around

124 Animal BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

their soft body. Some mollusks live on

land, but many live in water.

Invertebrates with jointed legs are called

arthropods. They have a hard covering

called an exoskeleton. Insects, spiders,

crustaceans, and centipedes are all

arthropods. Arthropods live on land and

in water all over the world.

Vertebrates

Fish are the oldest known vertebrates.