Angola Facts for Kids

Angola is officially known as the Republic of Angola, is a country located in Southern Africa.
It is the 7th largest country in Africa
it shares a border with Namibia, Congo and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Capital and Largest city in Angola is Luanda.

Angola was colonized by the Portuguese in 1575
They gained independence on the 11th Nov 1975 and gained full membership to the United Nations on the 22nd nov 1976.
The Angolan national flag was designed with the Soviet Union flag in mind, the gold cogwheel and machete on the Angolan flag were made after the hammer and sickle on the flag of Soviet Union.
The star the Angolan flag carries is also from the Soviet flag.

The land area of angola is 481,400 square miles.
Angola is mostly known for its Oil and Diamond exports being the primary sources of income.
The population of Angola is 25,789,024 roughly 26 million
people of Angola are called Angolan and speak Angolan Portuguese.
The currency used is called the Kwanza(AOA).
The Angola’s national tree is called the majestic imbondeiro, there is a belief that God planted this tree.
The unusual looking imbondeiro can be found growing all over the country and on local artwork.
Slave trade was practiced in the early time of Angola, with such tribes as the imbangala and the Mbunbu as the slave traders.
The major ports were built in both Luanda and Benguala.
Years after Brazil gained independence from Portugal, trading of slaves was ended as Angola had no more slave partners.
Angola’s kwanza can’t be taken outside the country unlike other currencies and attempting to take it out of the country is illegal.
It is illegal in Angola to take photographs of Government buildings, military sites and such other structures and you will be punished for doing so.
The capital city of Luanda is the most expensive city in the world, it is also known as the “Paris of Africa”. This title is because of the capital city’s sophisticated culture and atmosphere. This is because of the wide gap of development between the capital city and other parts of Angola as a result of disruption in politic and crisis in the economy. This leads to people paying a high price for good standards and suitable accommodations and imported goods that will make them feel comfortable.

Angola is the birth place of the dreadlock hair style.
After the 27 years of civil war, there has been a shortage of men in the country so it is not unusual for a man to have several unregistered wives.
Until a few years ago, the once thought extinct giant sable antelope was found in Angola and It can’t be found in any other country.
The Rucana falls in Angola is one of the largest waterfalls in the continent both in volume and width. Rucana falls flows into the Kunene River at the Angola Namibia border, it measures at 2,300 feet wide and 390 feet high.
You can easily get to Angola by bus from Namibia but getting there from Zambia and Democratic of Congo can be tricky.
Cuba played an instrumental role in Angola’s struggle for independence by supplying freedom Cuban fighters with weapons.one of Fidel castro’s legacy, is that he released 36,000 soldier in 1970 to fight with the People Movement for The Liberation of Angola (MPLA). This led to angola’s independence. Also Cuba helped again to avert a military disaster in 1988.
The name Angola was gotten from the ancient kingdom of Ndongo, there kings always used the title of “ngola”. In the sixteenth century, the word “ngola” was writing in Portuguese and they actually named a Portuguese colony on the coast Angola, before a larger territory under the Portuguese influence started using the names in the 19th century. Finally present-day Angola claimed its name and independence in 1975.
Tipping is not usually done in the country, so when you leave tips; it shouldn’t be more than 10% of the bill and it doesn’t have to be cash either as cigarette are acceptable.
One of the most common styles of music “semba” has influenced several other types of music, including the samba of Brazil.
It is normal to shake hands when greeting each other in Angola but when introduced to an older person or someone with a higher position, Angolans will typically bow their heads