Angola And The Kongo: A Historical Geography

Angola and the Republic of the Congo share a land boundary. From the late 14th to the mid-19th century, the Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. The boundary between the two countries was initially established in 1886 by French and Portuguese colonial powers and was better defined in 1901. The exclave province of Cabinda is separated from Angola by a tongue of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also shares a border with the Republic of the Congo. Angola and the Republic of the Congo have been involved in various conflicts over the years, including the Congo War of 1996-97.

Angola and the Republic of the Congo share a land boundary

The exclave province of Cabinda is separated from Angola by a tongue of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also shares a border with the Republic of the Congo. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanised countries in Africa, with nearly 70% of Congolese living in urban areas. In contrast, Angola has a population of 24.4 million people, with the largest city and national capital, Luanda, having a population of 3.8 million.

Angola's economy is heavily reliant on its oil sector, which contributes about 50% of GDP, more than 70% of government revenue, and over 90% of exports. On the other hand, the Republic of the Congo's economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, an industrial sector based on oil and support services, and government spending. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports.

Angola is bordered by Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and the Republic of the Congo

Angola is a country in southwestern Africa with a maximum width of about 800 miles (1,300 km), including the Cabinda exclave, which is located along the Atlantic coast just north of Angola’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country is bordered to the far northwest by the Republic of the Congo, to the north and northeast by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southeast by Zambia, and to the south by Namibia. The border between the Republic of the Congo and Angola's Cabinda exclave was initially established in 1886 by French and Portuguese colonial powers and was better defined in 1901. The border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola consists of two non-contiguous sections: a 225 km (140 mi) section along the border with Angola's Cabinda province, and a much longer 2,421 km (1,504 mi) section running from the Atlantic to the tripoint with Zambia. The border between Angola and Zambia was established following the Berlin Conference of 1884, during which European nations agreed upon their respective territorial claims and rules of engagement.

Angola's official language is Portuguese

Portuguese was introduced to Angola during the Portuguese colonial era, beginning in the 16th century when the Portuguese established coastal colonies and trading posts. It quickly became a lingua franca among the various ethnic groups. After the Angolan Civil War, many people moved to the cities, where they learned Portuguese. When they returned to the countryside, more people were speaking Portuguese as a first language. The variant of the Portuguese language used in Angola is known as Angolan Portuguese, which is phonetically very similar to the Mozambican variant.

Angola shares a land boundary with the Republic of the Congo, which begins at the Atlantic Ocean and continues first in a northeasterly and then southeasterly direction for 250 kilometres to the tripoint with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The boundary was initially established in 1886 by French and Portuguese colonial powers and was better defined in 1901.

Angola's exclave province of Cabinda borders the Republic of the Congo

The boundary between the Republic of the Congo and Cabinda was initially established in 1886 by French and Portuguese colonial powers and was better defined in 1901 after demarcation exercises were carried out. The boundary mostly follows the drainage divides of various central African river systems.

Cabinda is one of the poorest provinces in Angola, despite being responsible for close to 60% of Angola's oil production. The province produces 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is home to some of the largest offshore oil fields in the world.

The status of Cabinda as an exclave of Angola has been disputed by several political organizations in the territory, including the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC). FLEC has been engaged in an armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda since the end of the Angolan Civil War in 2002.

Cabinda was established as a protectorate of the Portuguese Empire in 1885 through the Treaty of Simulambuco. The treaty granted Cabinda the status of a protectorate of the Portuguese Crown under the request of "the princes and governors of Cabinda". Article 1 of the treaty states that "the princes and chiefs and their successors declare, voluntarily, their recognition of Portuguese sovereignty, placing under the protectorate of this nation all the territories by them governed".

In 1956, the administration of Cabinda was transferred to the governor-general of Angola, and in 1972, the name of Angola was changed to the "State of Angola". Following Angola's independence from Portugal in 1975, Cabinda was invaded by forces of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which incorporated the exclave into Angola.

The capital city of Cabinda is known locally as Tchiowa, Tsiowa, or Kiowa. The province is divided into four municipalities: Belize, Buco-Zau, Cabinda, and Cacongo.

Angola's high growth rate in recent years was driven by high international prices for its oil

Angola's economy is heavily dependent on the oil sector, which in 2017 accounted for over 90% of exports by value and 64% of government revenue. The petroleum industry is key and accounts for almost 75% of the country's revenues. Angola has an estimated 9 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and 11 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves.

However, the Angolan economy has faced challenges due to its reliance on the oil sector. With the end of the oil boom, Angola entered a period of economic contraction from 2015 onwards. The country's economic growth is vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil demand, which has led to volatile growth and high levels of poverty and inequality.

To address these issues, the Angolan government has implemented various economic reforms and sought to diversify its economy. Efforts have been made to improve macroeconomic management and public sector governance, enhance macroeconomic stability, and attract foreign investment.

The government has also prioritized the development of the non-oil sector, particularly agriculture, which has the highest potential to drive economic diversification. Additionally, Angola has abundant agricultural and arable land, as well as favorable climatic conditions, making it well-suited for agricultural development.

While new oil projects could increase oil production in the coming years, the long-term decline in oil production and lack of investment remain concerns. Angola's oil and gas sector continues to face challenges due to industry barriers, macroeconomic threats, and restrictive policies that hinder investment and business operations.

Overall, Angola's high growth rate in recent years was primarily driven by high international prices for its oil, but the country is now facing the challenge of diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on the oil sector.

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