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General Information
HISTORY
Smile you are in Angola
The original inhabitants of Angola were hunters and
gatherers of the Khoisan group. Their descendants,
called Bushmen by the Europeans, still inhabit parts
of southern Africa, and small amount can still be
found in the south of Angola. They were replaced by
successive contingents of Western African Bantu-
speaking tribes as a result of their southward migra-
tions. The Bantu settled in Angola between 1,300
and 1,600 and they formed important kingdoms.
Among them, the kingdom of Congo was the most
influent. It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in the
west to the Kuango River in the east, and from the
Congo River in the north to the Kwanza River in the
south, which corresponds roughly to actual northern
Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo and the
western portion of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
Other smaller kingdoms in the South depended on
the kingdom of Congo, such as those of Matamba
and Ndongo, whose sovereigns, the Ngola, would
give origins to the name of Angola.
© Kodilu
Every investor is highly encouraged to commit with
the Angolanization process, assuring the logical con-
tinuity of the development by placing gradually local
workers into key management positions.
Portugal entered Angola River in 1482 with navigator
Diogo Cão east anchor at the mouth of the Congo
with a primary objective to establish slave trade. Dur-
ing the 16th century the Portuguese gradually took
control of the coastal strip of Angola, forming the
Portuguese colony of Angola in 1575.
According to historian Ravenstein's calculations, in
1700, the Portuguese dominated an area of 65,000
km2 in Angola, starting from the coast of Luanda and
Benguela to 200 kilometres in the respective interior,
practically with the only objective of maintaining the
slaves' routes open starting from the plateau. Black
slaves were already the main merchandise to domi-
nate the whole trade, being "exported" to Portugal,
Brazil, Antilles and Central America.
In 1618, Portuguese are being chased of Angola but
the Bakongos turn to fight the Spanish who stayed
in Angola until 1630 in search of slaves to trade to
Cuba. Soon, Spanish are being replaced by the
Dutch who took control of Luanda and Benguela be-
tween 1641 and 1648. At that time, most slaves are
being sent to the plantations in Brazil. Portuguese
colonists from Brazil chase the Dutch occupants who
eventually gave up their other Angolan conquests
to the Portuguese in August 1648. The fight regain
intensity until 1668, the decapitation of the Mani-
Kongo during the Ambuila battle put an end to the
Kingdom of Kongo.