Angola's World Standing: First Or Developing Nation?

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country in southwestern Africa. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa and the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in the world. Angola is a developing country, and while it is rich in natural resources, it has high levels of poverty and inequality.

The term First World was first introduced to describe democratic and capitalist countries that were politically aligned with NATO and the United States. Today, it is used interchangeably with developed countries and typically describes countries with high-functioning democracies, stable economies, and high standards of living.

So, is Angola a First World country? The answer is no. While Angola has vast mineral and petroleum reserves and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, most Angolans have a low standard of living, with low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. Angola's economy is heavily dependent on the oil sector, which has led to increased vulnerability to external shocks and undermined macroeconomic stability.

Angola's economy

Angola has vast mineral and petroleum reserves, and its economy grew significantly between 2005 and 2007, with an average GDP growth rate of 20%. However, due to the global recession, the economy contracted by an estimated 0.3% in 2009. The security brought about by the 2002 peace settlement allowed for the resettlement of 4 million displaced people and a large-scale increase in agricultural production. Angola's economy is expected to grow by 3.9% in 2014, driven mainly by the non-oil sector, particularly agriculture.

Angola is the largest and wealthiest of the Portuguese-speaking African states, and Portuguese influences have been evident for almost 500 years. Angola has a population of over 33 million people and is bordered by Namibia, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the South Atlantic Ocean. The country has a diverse landscape, including a semi-desert Atlantic littoral, a rainforest interior, rugged highlands, and a densely populated northern coast.

Angola's economic fortunes are closely tied to global oil demand, and a major maintenance shutdown in the first half of 2023 led to lower-than-expected oil exports. This, coupled with high debt service payments, reduced the supply of foreign currency and triggered a 40% currency depreciation in May-June 2023. The depreciation of the currency, along with an increase in gasoline prices, fueled inflationary pressures, with year-on-year inflation reaching 24% in February 2024.

To address these challenges, Angola has implemented economic reforms over the past five years to improve macroeconomic management and public sector governance. The country has enhanced macroeconomic stability through a more flexible exchange rate regime, central bank autonomy, sound monetary policy, and fiscal consolidation. Additionally, Angola is working with the World Bank to promote more inclusive development and economic diversification, with a focus on revitalizing rural economies and creating greater competitiveness and employment.

Angola's political system

Legislative power rests with the 220 members of the National Assembly, who are elected to represent the country's 18 provinces. The President, together with the parliament, also has legislative power.

Angola's current political system came into being in 2010, with the adoption of a new constitution. This replaced the previous Marxist-Leninist, one-party system that had been in place since independence in 1975. The ruling party, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), won the first democratic elections in 1992, and has remained in power ever since.

The MPLA abandoned its Marxist ideology in 1990 and adopted social democracy as its platform. The party has been led by João Lourenço since 2017, who succeeded José Eduardo dos Santos after his 38-year rule.

Angola's history

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in both total area and population and is the seventh-largest country in Africa.

Early History

Angola has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age. Its formation as a nation-state originates from the Kingdom of Kongo, the hegemonic state of a number of other Kikongo-speaking kingdoms that flourished in and after the 14th century. The Kingdom of Kongo became extremely wealthy and powerful through establishing the Atlantic slave trade with the Portuguese Empire. Its first explorers established relations with Kongo in 1483, and additional migrants gradually began building coastal settlements and trading posts.

Portuguese Colonisation

The Portuguese gradually took control of the coastal area by a series of treaties and wars throughout the 16th century, and their interest in Angola quickly turned to the slave trade. Many scholars agree that by the 19th century, Angola was the largest source of slaves for the Americas. Portugal eventually secured administrative control over the interior in the beginning of the 20th century.

Independence and Civil War

As post-World War II decolonisation progressed elsewhere in Africa, Portugal continued to treat its African colonies as overseas provinces. Consequently, three Angolan independence movements emerged. A 1974 military coup d’etat in Portugal established a military government that agreed, in the Alvor Accords, to hand power to a coalition of the three movements. Ideological clashes led to armed conflict between the movements, with the Eastern Bloc-backed Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) eventually taking power when the Portuguese abandoned the capitol city Luanda in 1975. Angola remained aligned with the Soviet Union and Cuba for the duration of the Cold War.

After a protracted anti-colonial struggle (1961-1974), Angola achieved independence in 1975 as a one-party Republic. But competing movements still struggled for power in the new nation. The country descended into a devastating civil war the same year, between the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba; the insurgent National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, an originally Maoist and later anti-communist group supported by the United States and South Africa; and the militant organization National Liberation Front of Angola, backed by Zaire.

The MPLA stayed in power. Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic.

Angola's culture

Ethnic Diversity

Angola is home to over 100 distinct ethnic groups, each with its own unique cultural traits, traditions, and languages or dialects. The three dominant ethnic groups are the Ovimbundu, Ambundu (also known as Mbundu), and Bakongo, but there are also smaller groups like the Avambo, Chokwe, and Lunda-Chokwe. Each of these groups has its own distinct identity, and they tend to cluster in specific regions of the country.

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Angola and is spoken by almost 80% of the population as a primary or secondary language. This is a result of Portuguese colonial influence, as Angola was a Portuguese colony for over 400 years. However, there are also six national Bantu languages widely spoken: Kimbundu, Umbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, Kwanyama, and Ngangela. Younger generations tend to favour Portuguese in their daily lives.

Religion

The majority of Angolans are Christian, with Roman Catholicism being the most practised religion, again due to Portuguese influence. However, traditional indigenous beliefs remain important, with many Angolans incorporating ancestor worship into their religious practices. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and religious leaders played a pivotal role in resolving the civil war and advocating for social justice and human rights.

Arts and Crafts

Angolan decorative arts showcase a variety of media, including wood, clay, copper, reeds, ivory, and shells. The wooden sculptures of the Chokwe people and the carved ivories of Cabinda are renowned. Additionally, the elaborate hairstyles of the Nyaneka and Nkhumbi peoples are notable. In terms of visual arts, a blend of African and Western motifs characterises modern Angolan art.

Music and Dance

Music and dance hold a central place in Angolan culture, with the drum being the fundamental instrument. Traditional Angolan music and dance reflect the country's diverse ethnic groups and their unique rhythms and styles.

Cuisine

Palm oil is a staple in Angolan cuisine, and seafood is a favourite among the population. The country also has its share of festivals, such as the Nganja harvest festival, where children roast corn.

Social Etiquette

In Angolan society, greetings are essential, and they are not to be rushed. A handshake is the most common form of greeting, but close friends may embrace, kiss, or offer a friendly back-slap. It is customary to inquire about the other person's family and well-being during the greeting. When greeting elders or those in senior positions, a slight bow is appropriate. Gift-giving is more common in urban areas, and common gifts include fruit, flowers, or chocolates.

Angola's geography

Angola is located on the west-central coast of Southern Africa, between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa and the 22nd largest in the world, with a total land size of 1,246,700 sq km. Angola is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-east, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country also has an exclave province, Cabinda, which borders the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Angola's landscape consists of three main regions: a sparsely watered and sterile coastal plain, extending inland for 50-160km; a belt of hills and mountains slightly inland and parallel to the coast; and a large plateau in the centre of the country. The coastal plain is flat, with occasional low cliffs and bluffs of red sandstone, and is characterised by low plains and terraces. The central plateau consists of ancient crystalline rocks with granites overlain by non-fossiliferous sandstones and conglomerates of Paleozoic age. The median zone between the coastal plain and the central plateau is composed largely of crystalline rocks with granites and some Palaeozoic unfossiliferous rocks. The littoral zone contains the only fossiliferous strata, dating from the Tertiary and Cretaceous ages.

Angola has four principal natural regions: the arid coastal lowland, stretching from Namibia to Luanda; the green hills and mountains, rising inland from the coast into a great escarpment; a large area of high inland plains of dry savanna, called the high plateau (planalto); and rainforest in the north and in Cabinda. The highest point in Angola is Morro de Môco, at 2,620m. Elevations generally range from 910m to 1,830m. The Zambezi River and several tributaries of the Congo River have their sources in Angola, and the country is home to numerous other rivers, including the Cuanza and the Cunene.

Angola's climate is tropical, with distinct rainy and dry seasons. In the north, the rainy season may last for up to seven months, usually from September to April, while in the south, it begins later (November to February). The dry season is often characterised by a heavy morning mist. Temperatures fall as you move away from the equator, with higher altitudes, and tend to rise closer to the Atlantic Ocean. For example, the average annual temperature in Soyo, at the mouth of the Congo River, is around 26°C, while in Huambo, on the central plateau, it is under 16°C.

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