by
BRENDAN M.

NATIONAL FLAG OF

LOCATION:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ANGOLA

Angola is a fairly large country located on the West Coast of Southern Africa.  In 1575, the Portuguese began to colonize Angola and had control of Angola until Portugal granted independence in 1975.  While Portugal inhabited Angola, the Portuguese treated the people   poorly and used them for slaves.

The colonization of Angola helped the people by becoming a link in trade with India and Southeast Asia.  Angola also became a major source of slaves for Brazil.  In addition, the Portuguese invested in Angola’s agriculture, railways and mining operations.  

After World War II, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola led an   independence movement. The Portuguese military fought this and war broke out.  After fourteen years of fighting, Portugal granted independence to Angola in 1975.  The Popular Movement for   the Liberation of Angola has controlled the government since 1975.

Many other nationalist organizations did not like the Popular Movement for the   Liberation of Angola.  A civil war broke out and the country became a cold war battleground. The war caused more than two-million people to become refugees.  Another big problem in    Angola is starvation with more than five-hundred thousand people living without much food.  

If Angola had not been colonized, I think that it would still be a very poor country with a lot of starvation. The colonization helped with trade and other business but it also led to slavery and caused wars. Angola would probably be a wasteland with a lot of poverty and   homeless people.  

 Works Cited

Flag and map courtesy of Microsoft Clipart Gallery.

Infoplease www.infoplease.com 

Lonely Planet www.lonelyplanet.com

Leakey, Richard. Angola: Slavery, Exploration, Revolution