The dreadlock hairstyle originates from Angola.A tree known as ‘imbondeiro’ is special to Angolans. As per popular belief, this tree was planted by God.Angola is located on the west coast of Southern Africa. Luanda is the capital city of this country. Namibia shares its border with this county in the south. The Atlantic Ocean shares the border on Angola’s west, DR Congo in the north, and Zambia in the east. It is the seventh-largest country and the second-largest Portuguese-speaking or Lusophone country (official language), in both population and total area. Angola is an enclave province, and Cabinda province is its exclave. Cabinda borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Humans have inhabited Angola since the Paleolithic age.The Portuguese colonization originally formed the nation-state, beginning with trading posts and coastal settlements founded during the 16th century. The European settlers eventually established themselves in the 19th century. Also, Angola’s early Portuguese colony did not have the current borders formed in the early 20th century due to native group resistance from Mbunda, Kwanyama, and Cuamato.Read on for some interesting facts about Angola.Fun Facts About AngolaA fun fact about Angola is that Angola was the last Portuguese colony to get independence in Africa.Even after Angola gained independence, the entire country suffered for years due to a civil war that lasted for almost 27 years, taking millions of lives. People still struggled from the after-effects of the long civil war and had to clear the land mines that were left behind. Angola is the 23rd largest country in the world. Due to the civil war, people in Angola are one of the youngest populations on Earth. Around 70% of the young population is aged below 24. The life expectancy for both women and men is 54-59 years.Angola’s independence from the Portuguese came in 1975. Cuba played a vital part in Angola’s struggle for independence, as it supplied and provided freedom fighters with weapons.The largest city and the country’s capital city, Luanda, is among the most expensive cities in the world for ex-pats, and Angola is among the wealthiest countries in the world. Sometimes, Luanda is called the Paris of Africa. Angola’s airport caters to the whole country. The currency of Angola is called Kwanza.Angolan Prison FactsA fact about Angolan prison is that Angola State Prison was previously a plantation in a remote area of Louisiana, called the West Feliciana Parish.The ancient Kingdom of Ndongo is the originating root of the name Angola, where the kings were given the title ’ngola.’ This title or term was found in Portuguese writing in the 16th century, which was a name of the Portuguese colony located on the coast Angola. Later, in the 19th-century, a large territory under the influence of the Portuguese also adopted this name.The Angola State Prison faced a lot of problems due to administration and location. The Angola State prison was named after previous slaves’ homeland. The prison had grown to the size of Manhattan in 2008. It had several enterprises like soybeans, wheat crops, corn, and cotton, mattress factories, printing services, and a 1,600 herd of cattle.Angolan Culture FactsA fact about Angolan culture is that the culture of Angola is largely native Bantu mixed with Portuguese.Khoi and San ethnic groups were the earliest inhabitants of this country. They hunted and gathered natural resources. The Angolan flag has two horizontal stripes (red and black), representing African people and communism. There is a yellow emblem at the center with a machete, representing agricultural laborers. There is also a cogwheel representing industrial workers and a star representing progress and internationalism. The appearance of the flag is quite similar to the old Soviet flag.The giant sable antelope, an endemic species of Angola, was rediscovered in 2014, before which it was thought to be extinct. The giant sable antelope is a national icon in this country, displayed on postal stamps and coins.Angola’s written literature dates back to the 19th-century. Written literature was encouraged after the work of Christian missionaries and colonial rule, before which storytelling was mostly in oral form. Samba dance originated in Angola. The traditional Angolan dance is called Semba. It evolved into Brazil’s Samba.Usually, people shake their hands to greet each other. However, Angolans will bow their head when they meet someone of a higher position or an elder.Angolan Geography FactsA fact about Angola’s geography is that Angola is marginally less than twice the size of the state of Texas.The first European who explored the Angolan region was Diogo Cao, a Portuguese explorer, in 1483. Luanda was founded in 1575 by the Portuguese.One of the largest waterfalls both in width and volume in the continent is Rusticana falls, Angola. This waterfall joins the Kunene River near the Angola Namibia border. Angola has a huge amount of diamonds and gas resources. Diamond exports make up a major source of income for Angolans. This country is the largest oil producer across sub-Saharan Africa. A major trading partner of Angola is China, and China gets almost 46% of its exports.Although Angola is located in a tropical zone, there is an unusual climate in this zone. This occurs due to three factors; interior relief, the Namib desert’s influence, and the cold Benguela Current that flows across the coast’s southern part. This country experiences droughts and rainfall as well, like many places in Africa.
The dreadlock hairstyle originates from Angola.
