Africa Homeschool Series with Angola teaches us that the oil and diamond-rich country is currently rebuilding at full swing after suffering from civil war for 27 years since independence from Portugal in 1975. Now the country is finally at peace and is going through a dramatic rebirth. The name of the country is derived from the Kimbundu word N’gola, meaning King. N’gola (King) Kiluange was the king of the Ndongo Kingdom at the time of the Portuguese arrival in what is now Angola.

Nzingha Mbande was Queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba, located in present-day northern Angola. Born into the ruling family of Ndongo, Nzinga received military and political training as a child, and she demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises as an ambassador to the Portuguese Empire. Queen Nzinga of Angola is one of the most celebrated African women to resist European colonisation. She led four decades (1620s to 1660s) of warfare against the Portuguese in Angola.

Angola is a Southern African nation whose varied terrain encompasses tropical Atlantic beaches, a labyrinthine system of rivers and Sub-Saharan desert that extends across the border into Namibia. The country’s colonial history is reflected in its Portuguese-influenced cuisine and its landmarks including Fortaleza de São Miguel, a fortress built by the Portuguese in 1576 to defend the capital, Luanda.

The estimated population of Angola is over 30 million and the terrain is a highly populated, yet narrow coastal plain which quickly rises to vast plateaus inland. Angola is bordered by Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and east, Zambia to the east and Botswana and Namibia to the south. It also has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

The capital, Luanda is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and has a population of over 5 million inhabitants. The city’s streets are now being paved and widened with lots of new businesses opening up and a lot of construction going on all around. Foreigners are flocking to the country. Luanda, Angola’s capital is the world’s most expensive city for expats and Angola’s economy is one of the world’s fastest growing.

Luanda is unofficially known as the ‘Paris of Africa’ due to its sophisticated culture and atmosphere. Luanda is one the most expensive city in the world, competing with Hong Kong, Tokyo and Zurich. The climate in the south of Angola is semi-arid, with the north experiencing a cool, dry season from May to October, followed by a hot, rainy season from November to April.

We also learn in the Africa Homeschool Series with Angola that Portuguese is the official language, although Bantu is also spoken here. The Giant Sable Antelope was thought to be extinct until it was found to be endemic to Angola in 2004. One of the largest waterfalls in Africa, the Ruacana Falls is located in Angola. This beautiful wonder of nature is an incredible 2,300 feet wide and 390 feet high.

Angola grows bananas, coffee, sisal and sugarcane, rears livestock, catches fish and produces forest products. Its industry consists of diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, petroleum, feldspar, bauxite, gold and uranium. Angola also exports crude oil, refined petroleum products, gas and diamonds. Angola gained its independence from Portugal November 11, 1975 and the popular dance there is Semba.

Angola’s traditional music of Semba is different from the Brazilian Samba, even though they have the same dance style. Semba was originated in the coastal part of Luanda and Benguela in 17th century. The word Semba comes from the word “Masemba” which means “a touch of the bellies “.

The local currency is called the Kwanza (AOA) and 1 USD is about 95 Kwanza. Leila Luliana da Costa Vieira Lopes, known simply as “Leila Lopes” held the title of Miss Universe in 2011. There is one tree that is special to Angolan, it’s called “imbondeiro”. There was a popular belief that God planted this tree, also known as “Boabob” upside down. The unusual looking imbondeiro tree can be found growing all over the country and on local artwork.

The Angolan flag is red, black and gold. The red part of the flag represents the blood of Angolans killed in conflicts, the black represents the Angolan people, and as for the gold parts – the cogwheel represents industry, the gold machete represents peasantry, and the gold star is modeled after the star on the flag of the former Soviet Union. We invite you to travel with us and learn some interesting facts on our Africa Homeschool Series with Angola as we learn more about Africa and its rich history and culture.