República de Angola Republic of Angola
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Virtus Unita Fortior"  (Latin) "Unity Provides Strength"
Anthem Angola Avante!  (Portuguese) Forward Angola!
Location of Angola
Capital (and largest city)		Luanda
Official languages		Portuguese
Recognised regional languages		Kongo, Chokwe, South Mbundu, Mbundu
Demonym		Angolan
Government		Nominally multi-party (Free elections never held)
-	President	José E. dos Santos
-	Prime Minister	Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos
Independence		from Portugal
-	Date	November 11 1975
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2005 estimate	15,941,000 (61st)
-	1970 census	5,646,166
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$43.362 billion (82nd)
-	Per capita	$2,813 (126th)
HDI (2004)		0.439 (low) (161st)
Currency		Kwanza (AOA)
Time zone		WAT (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Internet TLD		.ao
Calling code		+244
2

Angola is a country in south-central Africa bordering Namibia to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province Cabinda has a border with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A former Portuguese colony, it has considerable natural resources, among which oil and diamonds are the most significant. The country is nominally a democracy and is formally named the Republic of Angola (Portuguese: República de Angola, pronounced IPA: [ʁɛ'publikɐ dɨ ɐ̃'gɔlɐ], Kongo: Repubilika ya Ngola).

History

Main article: History of Angola

The earliest people of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations, though small numbers of Khoisan remain in parts of southern Angola to the present day.

The geographical area now designated as Angola first became the subject to incursions by Europeans in the late 15th century. In 1483 Portugal established a base at the river Congo, where the Kongo State, Ndongo and Lunda existed. The Kongo State stretched from modern Gabon in the north to the Kwanza River in the south. In 1575 Portugal established a colony at Cabinda based on slave trade. Slavery, a local ancient institution in Africa even before the Portuguese have arrived, provided a large number of black slaves to a slave market supplied by well-established slave trade networks controlled by local tribes.^[1] The Portuguese gradually took control of the coastal strip throughout the sixteenth century by a series of treaties and wars forming the country of Angola. The Dutch occupied Luanda from 1641-1648, where they allied with local tribes to consolidate their colonial rule against the remaining Portuguese resistance.

Colonial era

In 1648, Portugal retook Luanda and initiated a process of reconquest of lost territories, which restored the pre-occupation possessions of Portugal by 1650. Treaties regulated relations with Congo in 1649 and Njinga's Kingdom of Matamba and Ndongo in 1656. The conquest of Pungo Andongo in 1671 was the last great Portuguese expansion, as attempts to invade Congo in 1670 and Matamba in 1681 failed.

Portugal expanded its territory behind the colony of Benguela in the eighteenth century, and began the attempt to occupy other regions in the mid-nineteenth century. The process resulted in few gains until the 1880s. Full Portuguese administrative control of the interior didn't occur until the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1951, the colony was restyled as an overseas province, also called Portuguese West Africa.

Portugal had a presence in Angola for nearly five hundred years, and the population's initial reaction to calls for independence was mixed.

Independence

After the overthrow of colonial Portugal's government by a socialist-inspired military coup, Angola's nationalist parties began to negotiate for independence in January 1975. An agreement was reached with the Portuguese government, with independence to be declared in November 1975. Almost immediately, a civil war broke out between MPLA, UNITA and FNLA, exacerbated by foreign intervention. Upon independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola's capital and nominal government came under the one-party rule of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

South Africa soon became involved in the Angolan conflict, ostensibly to protect its interests in its territory of South West Africa, present-day Namibia. The South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) was fighting for independence from South Africa from bases inside Angola. In an attempt to prevent cross-border operations by SWAPO forces, the South African military, the South African Defense Forces, cleared a one-kilometer-wide strip in Angola along nearly half the length of the 1,376 km long border. Zaire, which had provided support to FNLA guerrillas, soon began to furnish support for UNITA as well. In turn, the Soviet Union began to significantly increase military aid to MPLA, providing armored vehicles, aircraft, and advisors, while large numbers of Cuban troops were airlifted by Soviet transport planes into Angola in an undisguised effort to tip the military balance in favour of the MPLA. By October 1975, MPLA and Cuban forces took control of Luanda, and much of the country's infrastructure, forcing UNITA forces to revert to guerrilla actions. The MPLA declared itself unilaterally to be the de facto government of the country when independence was formally declared in November, with Agostinho Neto as the first President.

In 1976, the FNLA was defeated by Cuban troops, leaving the MPLA and UNITA (now backed by the United States and South Africa) to fight for power. Since 1979, Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been in control of the country's political leadership. Despite the introduction of a multi-party system in 1991, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has remained in power. "In 1976, controversy over U.S. covert assistance to paramilitary forces in Angola led to legislative bans on such action." ^{[2] [3]}

Civil war

The conflict between MPLA and UNITA raged on in the countryside, fueled by the geopolitics of the Cold War and by the ability of both parties to access Angola's natural resources. In 1991, the factions agreed to the Bicesse Accords which were intended to convert Angola from a one-party authoritarian government into a multiparty state with democratic elections in 1992. President dos Santos led the first round of the election with more than 49% of the vote to Jonas Savimbi's 40%. After claims of fraud, civil war again broke out, and the final runoff election never took place. A 1994 peace accord (the Lusaka protocol) between the government and UNITA provided for the integration of former UNITA insurgents into the government. A national unity government was installed in 1997, but serious fighting resumed in late 1998, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. The international community largely blamed UNITA for the breakdown in the Lusaka peace process; as a consequence the UN Security Council imposed sanctions against them (Kevlihan, 2003). Despite the formation of a government of national unity, which included disaffected elements of UNITA (UNITA-Renovada), generally known by its Portuguese acronym of GURN, power remained with the MPLA, concentrated in particular in the hands of the President Dos Santos and his circle of close advisors.

The MPLA drew upon the revenues of off-shore oil resources, while UNITA accessed alluvial diamonds that were easily smuggled through the region's very porous borders (Chilliers & Dietrich, 2000, Le Billon, 2001). The Angolan government was heavily criticized by human rights organizations for a lack of transparency in the sources and uses of its oil revenue during this time (Global Witness (1999), Human Rights Watch (2004)); what detailed analysis was possible of Angola's expenditure on social services during the war highlighted the extremely low levels of expenditure on health and education, and the way in which large proportions of available budgets benefited elites through scholarships and access to health care overseas (Hodges, 2004). Meanwhile, Angola suffered from one of the highest caseloads of internally displaced persons in the world, displacement caused in large part by the military tactics of both UNITA and government forces (Lari & Kevlihan (2005), Médecins Sans Frontières (2002)).

Ceasefire with UNITA

On February 22 2002, Jonas Savimbi, the leader of UNITA, was killed in combat with government troops, and a cease-fire was reached by the two factions. UNITA gave up its armed wing and assumed the role of major opposition party. Although the political situation of the country began to stabilize, President dos Santos has so far refused to institute regular democratic processes. Among Angola's major problems are a serious humanitarian crisis (a result of the prolonged war), the abundance of minefields, and the actions of guerrilla movements fighting for the independence of the northern exclave of Cabinda (Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda). While most of the internally displaced have now returned home, the general situation for most Angolans remains desperate, and the development facing the government challenging as a consequence (Lari (2004), Human Rights Watch (2005)).

Politics

Main article: Politics of Angola

Angola's motto is "Virtus Unita Fortior", a Latin phrase meaning "Virtue is stronger when united."

The executive branch of the government is composed of the President, the Prime Minister (currently Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos) and Council of Ministers. Currently, political power is concentrated in the Presidency. The Council of Ministers, composed of all government ministers and vice ministers, meets regularly to discuss policy issues. Governors of the 18 provinces are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the president. The Constitutional Law of 1992 establishes the broad outlines of government structure and delineates the rights and duties of citizens. The legal system is based on Portuguese and customary law but is weak and fragmented, and courts operate in only twelve of more than 140 municipalities. A Supreme Court serves as the appellate tribunal; a Constitutional Court with powers of judicial review has never been constituted despite statutory authorization. Critics have drawn an ironic comparison between Angola's current one-party rule and the authoritarian regime of António de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal, under whose rule Angolans began their revolt for independence.

The 27-year-long Angolan Civil War ravaged the country's political and social institutions. The UN estimates of 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), while generally the accepted figure for war-affected people is 4 million. Daily conditions of life throughout the country and specifically Luanda (population approximately 4 million) mirror the collapse of administrative infrastructure as well as many social institutions. The ongoing grave economic situation largely prevents any government support for social institutions. Hospitals are without medicines or basic equipment, schools are without books, and public employees often lack the basic supplies for their day-to-day work.

The current government has announced an intention to hold elections in 2008. These elections would be the first since 1992 and would serve to elect both a new president and a new National Assembly.

Provinces and municipalities

Main articles: Provinces of Angola and Municipalities of Angola

Angola is divided into eighteen provinces (províncias) and 158 municipalities (municípios). The provinces are:

Bengo Benguela Bié Cabinda Cuando Cubango Cuanza Norte Cuanza Sul Cunene Huambo

Huila Luanda Lunda Norte Lunda Sul Malanje Moxico Namibe Uíge Zaire

Military

Main article: Military of Angola

The Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) is headed by a Chief of Staff who reports to the Minister of Defense.

There are three divisions--the Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MdG), and Air and Air Defense Forces ( Força Aerea Nacional, FAN). Total manpower is about 110,000. The army is by far the largest of the services with about 100,000 men and women. The Navy numbers about 3,000 and operates several small patrol craft and barges. Air force personnel total about 7,000; its equipment includes Russian-manufactured fighters and transport planes.

A small number of FAA personnel are stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville).

Police

The National Police departments are : Public Order, Criminal Investigation, Traffic and Transport, Investigation and Inspection of Economic Activities, Taxation and Frontier Supervision, Riot Police and the Rapid Intervention Police. The National Police are in the process of standing up an air wing, which will provide helicopter support for police operations. The National Police are also developing their criminal investigation and forensic capabilities. The National Police has an estimated 6,000 patrol officers, 2,500 Taxation and Frontier Supervision officers, 182 criminal investigators and 100 financial crimes detectives and 90 Economic Activity Inspectors.

The National Police have implemented a modernization and development plan to increase the capabilities and efficiency of the total force. In addition to administrative reorganization; modernization projects include procurement of new vehicles, aircraft and equipment, construction of new police stations and forensic laboratories, restructured training programs and the replacement of AKM rifles with 9mm UZIs for police officers in urban areas.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Angola

At 481,321 mi² (1,246,700 km²),[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html] Angola is the world's twenty-third largest country (after Niger). It is comparable in size to Mali and is nearly twice the size of the US state of Texas, or five times the area of the UK.

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 exclave of Cabinda also borders the Republic of the Congo to the north. Angola's capital, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic coast in the north-west of the country. Angola's average temperature on the coast is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 °C) in the winter and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 °C) in the summer.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Angola

Angola's economy has undergone a period of transformation in recent years, moving from the disarray caused by a quarter century of war to being the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world. In 2004, China's Eximbank approved a $2 billion line of credit to Angola. The loan is being used to rebuild Angola's infrastructure, and has also limited the influence of the International Monetary Fund in the country.^[4]

Growth is almost entirely driven by rising oil production which surpassed 1.4 million barrels per day in late-2005 and which is expected to grow to 2 million barrels per day by 2007. Control of the oil industry is consolidated in Sonangol Group, a conglomerate which is owned by the Angolan government. In December 2006, Angola was admitted as a member of OPEC.^[5] The economy grew 18% in 2005; growth is expected to reach 26% in 2006 and stay above 10% for the rest of the decade. The security brought about by the 2002 peace settlement has led to the resettlement of 4 million displaced persons, thus resulting in large-scale increases in agriculture production.

Demography

Angola is composed of: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%^[6]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Angola

Angola was ruled by Portugal and both countries share cultural aspects: language (Portuguese) and main religion (Roman Catholic Christianity). The Angolan culture is mostly native Bantu which was mixed with Portuguese culture.

Capoeira Angola

Once synonymous to slavery, outlaws and violence, Capoeira is now well known all over the world as an art form, and has fascinated thousands.

Capoeira is divided in two parts: Capoeira Regional and Capoeira Angola. Capoeira Regional is a modern and popular form of capoeira. Capoeira Angola is the original form, created in Brazil by African slaves. Capoeira Angola has roots in the wedding rituals of the Bantu tribe, where the Dance of the Zebra, the N´golo, was a sparring between young warriors. That is why the Zebra is part of the Capoeira Angola logo. Capoeira Angola is a sparring between friends, an exciting game in the middle of the "roda", a ring formed by musicians and singers. It is fight, dance, play, music and philosophy, all in one. For years Capoeira was practiced in secrecy and it was not lawful to practice and teach until after the 1930s; forty years after the abolition of slavery. Berimbau is an instrument related with capoeira, it commands the roda, and determines the kind of fight (Angola or Regional)

Public holidays

Angola has 15 public holidays over the year. These are:

• January 1 - New Year's Day
• January 4 - Day of the Fallen against the colonial repression
• January 25 - Luanda's Day
• February 4 - Day of the Armed Struggle
• March 8 - International Women's Day
• April 4 - Peace day
• May 1 - Labour Day
• May 25 - Africa's Day
• June 1 - International Children's Day
• September 17 - Agostinho Neto's Day and National Heroes Day
• November 2 - Day of the Dead
• December 25 - Christmas
• December 31 - New Year's Eve

Movable public holidays:

• Easter
• Carnival

See also

Angolan Civil War Angola national football team Angola national basketball team Associação de Escuteiros de Angola Communications in Angola

Angolan musicians Contemporary Dance Company of Angola Demographics of Angola Foreign relations of Angola

Islam in Angola Military of Angola Sonangol Group Transport in Angola

Lists

• List of Angolan companies
• List of writers from Angola
• List of Angola-related topics

References

• Cilliers, Jackie and Christian Dietrich, Eds. (2000). Angola's War Economy: The Role of Oil and Diamonds. Pretoria, South Africa, Institute for Security Studies.
• Global Witness (1999). A Crude Awakening, The Role of Oil and Banking Industries in Angola's Civil War and the Plundering of State Assets. London, UK, Global Witness. http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/93/en/a_crude_awakening
• Hodges, T. (2004). Angola: The Anatomy of an Oil State. Oxford, UK and Indianapolis, US, The Fridtjol Nansen Institute & The International African Institute in association with James Currey and Indiana University Press.
• Human Rights Watch (2004). Some Transparency, No Accountability: The Use of Oil Revenues in Angola and Its Impact on Human Rights. New York, Human Rights Watch. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/angola0104/
• Human Rights Watch (2005). Coming Home, Return and Reintegration in Angola. New York, Human Rights Watch. http://hrw.org/reports/2005/angola0305/
• Kevlihan, R. (2003). "Sanctions and humanitarian concerns: Ireland and Angola, 2001-2." Irish Studies in International Affairs 14: 95-106.
• Lari, A. (2004). Returning home to a normal life? The plight of displaced Angolans. Pretoria, South Africa, Institute for Security Studies. http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/papers/85/Paper85.pdf
• Lari, A. and R. Kevlihan (2004). "International Human Rights Protection in Situations of Conflict and Post-Conflict, A Case Study of Angola." African Security Review 13(4): 29-41. http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/ASR/13No4/FLari.pdf
• Le Billon, P. (2001). "Angola’s Political Economy of War: The Role of Oil and Diamonds." African Affairs(100): 55-80.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (2002). Angola: Sacrifice of a People. Luanda, Angola, MSF. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/2002/angola1_10-2002.pdf
• Pinto Escoval [2004): "Staatszerfall im südlichen Afrika. Das Beispiel Angola". Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Berlin
• Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.

Bibliography

• Le Billon, P. (2005). "Aid in the Midst of Plenty: Oil Wealth, Misery and Advocacy in Angola." Disasters 29(1): 1-25.
• Pearce, J. (2004). "War, Peace and Diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas." 2005.African Security Review 13 (2), 2004, pp 51-64. http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/ASR/13No2/AW.pdf
• Porto, J. G. (2003). Cabinda: Notes on a soon to be forgotten war. Pretoria, South Africa, Institute for Security Studies. http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/papers/77/Paper77.html
• Tvedten, I. (1997). Angola, Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction. Boulder, Colorado, Westview Press.
• Vines, A. (1999). Angola Unravels: The Rise and Fall of the Lusaka Peace Process. New York and London, UK, Human Rights Watch.

External links

Government

• (Portuguese) Republic of Angola (official government portal)
• (Portuguese) National Assembly of Angola
• Embassy of Angola in Washington DC
• Embassy of Angola in Ottawa, Canada

News

• Canal Angola News about music from Angola and events, Videos, Mp3
• children of Angola - a web documentary on the forgotten children of Angola.
• - Newspapers from Angola - The most important online newspapers from Angola.
• Mwangole Amizades Angola Dating, relationship, and more
• allAfrica - Angola - News headline links
• Angola Press - Government-controlled news agency (in Portuguese, French and English)
• Angola Xyami - Angola Minha Terra (in Portuguese)- Reflections end News on new Angola in peace
• Angonoticias (in Portuguese) - A popular news source in Angola
• Mangole (in Portuguese) - A full news source in Angola and web directory of Angolan sites online
• Televisão Pública de Angola (in Portuguese) - Angola's state-owned national tv station
• Rádio Nacional de Angola (in Portuguese) - Angola's state-owned national radio station
• Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese) - A popular newspaper in Angola
• 400 Years Ago - Washington Post news story on the possible fate of the first African slaves taken to US.

Politics

• Official webpage of MPLA
• Official webpage of UNITA
• Official webpage of JMPLA

Overviews

• BBC - Country profile: Angola
• CIA World Factbook entry on [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/.html Angola]
• US State Department - Angola includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• OECD DEV/AfDB - Country Study: Angola
• Rural poverty in Angola (IFAD)
• World Bank Country Brief: Angola

Directories

• Columbia University Libraries - Angola directory category of the WWW-VL
• Open Directory Project - Angola directory category
• Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Angola directory category
• www.angolinks.com - webdirectory of Angolan sites online
• Encyclopedia of the Nations : Angola

Tourism

Other

• Can Corporate Power Transform Equatorial Guinea and Angola?
• Angola Conflict Briefing
• Angola Constitution
• www.luandamap.com - streetsearch in Luanda and other maps related to Angola
• www.cidadeluanda.com - Portal and Directory of Luanda
• Angola Paper Money

Geographic locale

•  • [ e] Countries of Southern Africa Angola Botswana Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland Zambia Zimbabwe  •  • [ e] Countries of Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Comoros Cte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt1 Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea-Bissau Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland So Tom and Prncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Dependencies

International membership and history

•  • [ e] Southern African Development Community (SADC) Angola Botswana Democratic Republic of the Congo Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe  •  • [ e] African Union (AU) Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Cte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe  •  • [ e] Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Members: Angola Brazil Cape Verde East Timor Guinea-Bissau Mozambique Portugal So Tom and Prncipe Observers: Equatorial Guinea Mauritius  •  • [ e] Latin Union Andorra Angola Argentina Bolivia Brazil Cape Verde Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cte d'Ivoire Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador France Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Haiti Holy See Honduras Italy Mexico Moldova Monaco Mozambique Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Portugal Romania San Marino So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Sovereign Military Order of Malta Spain Timor-Leste Uruguay Venezuela Official languages: Catalan French Italian Portuguese Romanian Spanish  •  • [ e] South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Angola Argentina Benin Brazil Cameroon Cape Verde Congo DR Congo Ivory Coast Equatorial Guinea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Namibia Nigeria So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Togo Uruguay  •  • [ e] Niger-Congo-speaking nations  •  • [ e] Kordofanian  Sudan  •  • [ e] Mande  Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Mali  Mauritania  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Liberia  Cte d'Ivoire  Nigeria  Burkina Faso  Benin  Togo  •  • [ e] Atlantic-Congo Atlantic  Benin  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  CAR Ijoid  Nigeria  Chad  Cte d'Ivoire  Gambia  Guinea Dogon  Mali  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Sudan  Togo  •  • [ e] Volta-Congo Senufo  Benin  Cte d'Ivoire  Mali Gur  Benin  Burkina Faso  Cte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Mali  Nigeria  Togo Adamawa-Ubangi  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria Kru  Burkina Faso  Cte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Benin  Cte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Nigeria  Togo  •  • [ e] Benue-Congo Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC Yoruba and Igbo  Nigeria  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  Somalia  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic    DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo  •  • [ e] Portuguese Empire North Africa  15th century 1415–1640  Ceuta 1458–1550  Alccer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550  Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662  Tangier 1485–1550  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1488–1541  Safim (Safi) 16th century 1505–1769  Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gu (Agadir) 1506–1525  Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525  Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541  Azamor (Azemmour) 1577–1589  Arzila (Asilah) Sub-Saharan Africa  15th century 1455–1633  Arguin 1470–1975  So Tom1 1474–1778  Annobn 1478–1778  Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637  Elmina (So Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642  Portuguese Gold Coast 1496–1550  Madagascar (part) 1498–1540  Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630  Malindi 1500–1975  Prncipe1 1501–1975  Portuguese E. Africa (Mozambique) 1502–1659  St. Helena 1503–1698  Zanzibar 1505–1512  Quloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511  Socotra 1557–1578  Accra 1575–1975  Portuguese W. Africa (Angola) 1588–1974  Cacheu2 1593–1698  Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1642–1975  Cape Verde 1645–1888  Ziguinchor 1680–1961  So Joo Baptista de Ajud 1687–1974  Bissau2 18th century 1728–1729  Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975  So Tom and Prncipe 19th century 1879–1974  Portuguese Guinea 1885–1975  Portuguese Congo (Cabinda) 1 Part of So Tom and Prncipe from 1753.   2 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Southwest Asia  16th century 1506–1615  Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507-1643  Sohar 1515–1622  Hormuz (Ormus) 1515-1648  Quriyat 1515-?   Qalhat 1515–1650  Muscat 1515?-?   Barka 1515-1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602  Bahrain (Al Muharraq and Manama) 1521-1529?  Qatif 1521?-1551? Tarut Island 1550-1551  Qatif 1588-1648  Matrah 17th century 1620-?   Khor Fakkan 1621?-?   As Sib 1621-1622  Qeshm 1623-?   Khasab 1623-?   Libedia 1624-?   Kalba 1624-?   Madha 1624-1648  Diba al-Hisn 1624?-?   Bandar-e Kong Indian subcontinent  15th century 1498–1545  Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India    1500–1663  Cochim (Kochi)    1502–1661  Quilon (Coulo/Kollam)    1502–1663  Cannanore (Kannur)    1507–1657  Negapatam (Nagapattinam)    1510–1962  Goa    1512–1525  Calicut (Kozhikode)    1518–1619  Paliacate (Pulicat)    1521–1740  Chaul    1523–1662  So Tom de Meliapore    1528–1666  Chittagong    1534–1601  Salsette Island    1534–1661  Bombay (Mumbai)    1535–1739  Baam (Vasai-Virar)    1536–1662  Cranganore (Kodungallur)    1540–1612  Surat    1548–1658  Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)    1559–1962  Daman and Diu    1568–1659  Mangalore    1579–1632  Hughli    1598–1610  Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521  Maldives 1518–1658  Ceilo (Ceylon/Sri Lanka) 1558–1573  Maldives 17th century Portuguese India    1687–1749  So Tom de Meliapore 18th century Portuguese India    1779–1954  Dadra and Nagar Haveli East Asia and Oceania  16th century 1511–1641  Malacca 1512–1621  Banda Islands 1512–1621  Moluccas (Maluku Islands)    1522–1575  Ternate    1576–1605  Ambon    1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665  Makassar 1553–1999  Macau 1571–1639  Decima (Dejima, Nagasaki) 17th century 1642–1975  Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1 19th century Macau    1864–1999  Coloane    1851–1999  Taipa    1890–1999  Ilha Verde 20th century Macau    1938–1941  Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1 1975 is the date of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, the independence of East Timor was recognized by Portugal and the rest of the world. North America and the North Atlantic Ocean  15th century 1420           Madeira 1432           Azores 16th century 1501–1570?  Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1501-1570?  Labrador 1519–1570?  Nova Scotia Central and South America  16th century 1500–1822  Brazil 1536–1620  Barbados 17th century 1680–1777  Nova Colnia do Sacramento 19th century 1808–1822  Cisplatina (Uruguay) Portuguese colonization of the Americas