Luanda

Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola. It is located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast and serves as the country's main port, industrial, cultural, and administrative center. Founded in January 1576 by Portuguese explorer Paulo Dias de Novais, Luanda has a rich history and was once a key location in the slave trade to Brazil.

Today, Luanda is a bustling city with a population of over 8.8 million people, making it the most populous Portuguese-speaking capital in the world. The city has faced challenges, including rapid population growth during the Angolan Civil War, but it is now undergoing major reconstruction with many new developments.

Luanda is an important economic center, especially for oil, and hosts various industries such as food processing, textile production, and car assembly. The city is also known for being one of the most expensive places in the world for people from outside the country to live. Luanda was the main host city for the matches of the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

History

See also: Timeline of Luanda

Portuguese colonization

See also: Portuguese Angola and Colonial history of Angola

Portuguese explorer Paulo Dias de Novais founded Luanda on 25 January 1576 as "São Paulo da Assumpção de Loanda". He brought settlers and soldiers to the area. The city became an important port and center for trade.

In the 17th century, Luanda was a key point in the trade of goods to Brazil. The city grew with trading companies and exports like palm, peanut oil, and ivory. By the mid-1800s, Luanda was one of the most developed cities in the Portuguese Empire outside of Portugal.

Estado Novo

Main article: Estado Novo (Portugal)

During Portugal’s rule, Luanda grew from a small town to a large, wealthy city. By 1970, it had many residents from Portugal and mixed backgrounds.

Like most of Portuguese Angola, Luanda was not affected by the wars of that time; the city saw record economic growth and development.

Independence

Main articles: Angolan War of Independence, Portuguese Colonial War, and Angolan Civil War

When Angola gained independence in 1975, Luanda was a modern city with many African residents and a strong minority from Portugal. After Portugal’s changes in 1974, many Portuguese left Luanda, moving to Portugal or other places.

In the years that followed, large areas of the city grew quickly because of war and migration. The city’s facilities struggled to keep up with the growing population.

21st century

In the early 2000s, Luanda began major rebuilding efforts after the end of the civil war and with the help of growing oil and diamond wealth. The city has seen new roads, highways, and housing projects to improve living conditions for its many residents.

Geography

Luanda is split into two parts: the lower Luanda, which is near the port with narrow streets and old buildings, and the upper city, which is newer. Over time, the city has grown beyond these original areas.

Luanda has a warm but dry climate because of the cool ocean current nearby. This makes the city less humid than other places at the same latitude. The city is home to many important buildings, including schools, a large stadium, and the seat of a Roman Catholic leader.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Angola

The people of Luanda come from many African groups, mostly Ambundu, Ovimbundu, and Bakongo. The main language spoken there is Portuguese, but other languages like Kimbundu, Umbundu, and Kikongo are also used.

Luanda's population has grown very fast, partly because many people moved there during times of conflict, seeking safety. There are also many people from European backgrounds, especially Portuguese, and some from Brazil. In recent years, more people from Portugal have come to Luanda for job opportunities. There are also smaller groups from other African countries, like South Africa, as well as people of mixed heritage. Additionally, there are communities from China and Vietnam.

Places of worship

Luanda has many places where people gather for faith, including several Christian churches such as:

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda (Catholic Church)
• Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (World Communion of Reformed Churches)
• Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola (World Communion of Reformed Churches)
• Baptist Convention of Angola (Baptist World Alliance)
• Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
• Assemblies of God
• Jehovah's Witnesses.

Culture

Luanda is a very important place for Angolan culture. As the main city in Angola, it has many places where people can learn about the country's history and traditions. There are many museums in Luanda, such as the National Museum of Anthropology, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Slavery.

The city also has special events, like the Luanda International Jazz Festival, which happens every year. There are also beautiful old buildings and churches, including the Palácio de Ferro and the Luanda Cathedral. One special place is the Clube Náutico da Ilha de Luanda (CNIL), a sports club that loves sailing and has won many prizes over the years.

Economy

See also: Economy of Angola

Many people in Luanda face difficult living conditions. Basic things like clean water and electricity are hard to find, and traffic can be very bad.

Luanda is one of the most expensive cities in the world for visitors. It costs more to live there than in big cities like Seoul, Geneva, and Shanghai. This high cost has created big differences between people in the city. Some tall buildings stand empty because the price of oil has gone down.

New rules in 2014 made many things even more expensive in Luanda. For example, a small container of ice cream cost about US$31. These rules were meant to help the country grow in ways other than oil, but they made life harder for many people, who earned about US$260 each month at the time. In the oil industry, people earned much more.

The city makes things like food, drinks, clothes, building materials, and plastic items. It also refines oil found nearby, although this was damaged during a long conflict. Luanda has a great natural harbor and exports items like coffee, cotton, sugar, diamonds, iron, and salt.

Luanda has been building a lot since peace returned in 2002. Many new buildings are going up because of strong growth and investment. In 2007, the first modern shopping mall in Angola opened at Belas Shopping mall.

Transport

Railway

Luanda is where the Luanda railway starts, heading east to Malanje. During the civil war, the railway stopped working, but it has since been fixed as far as Dondo and Malanje.

Airports

The main airport in Luanda used to be Quatro de Fevereiro Airport. A new international airport, Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, was built southeast of the city, near Viana. It was finished and opened in November 2023. This new airport will slowly replace the old one.

Port

The Port of Luanda is the biggest port in Angola and one of the busiest in Africa. The port is being expanded, and a new one is being built at Dande, about 30 km north.

Road transport

The roads in Luanda are in bad condition, but the government is working hard to fix them. This is to help with traffic in the city. You can see road repairs happening almost everywhere, including a big 6-lane highway connecting Luanda to Viana.

Public transport

People in Luanda can get around using the Luanda Railway suburban services, the public company TCUL, and many private minibuses called Candongueiro. These are usually Toyota Hiace vans meant for 12 people, but they often carry at least 15. They cost between 100 and 200 kwanzas for a trip and sometimes don’t follow traffic rules, like stopping at signs or staying on the road.

In 2019, plans were announced to build the Luanda Light Rail network, which will cost about US $3 billion. Construction was set to start in 2020.

Education

Luanda has many schools for children from different countries. Some of these schools include the Escola Portuguesa de Luanda, Colégio Português de Luanda, Colégio São Francisco de Assis, the Luanda International School, and the English School Community of Luanda.

The city also has several universities for older students. These include the Agostinho Neto University, Lusíada University, the Catholic University of Angola, the Technical University of Angola, the Methodist University of Angola, Private University of Angola, the Jean Piaget University of Angola, the University of Luanda, Universidade Indepedente de Angola, and the Higher Institute of Education Sciences of the Luanda.

Sports

Luanda's Pavilhão Multiusos do Kilamba has hosted games for Angola's national basketball team many times.

In 2013, Luanda and Namibe, now called Moçâmedes, hosted the 2013 FIRS Men's Roller Hockey World Cup. This was the first time a World Cup for roller hockey was held in Africa. The city is also home to the Desportivo do Bengo football club.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Angola

Twin towns – Sister cities

Luanda has friendly partnerships with many cities around the world. Some of these cities are:

• Houston, United States
• São Paulo, Brazil
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Oaxaca, Mexico
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Beira, Mozambique
• Windhoek, Namibia
• Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
• Beijing, China
• Macau, Macau
• Maputo, Mozambique
• Tahoua, Niger
• São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe
• Johannesburg, South Africa
• Cairo, Egypt
• Porto, Portugal
• Huambo, Angola
• Toulon, France
• Asunción, Paraguay
• Cape Town, South Africa