Destruction of a Nation: Angola - Assignment Example

ANGOLA Situated in south-central Africa, Angola is a mineral-rich country with a fascinating history. With a vast Atlantic coastline to the west, Angola borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Namibia to the south and Zambia to the east. A formal colony of Portugal and one of the few Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, Angola is unique in many regards. Seeking to understand the history and economy of a country which has the potential to be a sub-Saharan economic powerhouse, this research paper aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the modern Republic of Angola. We will begin with an introduction which will provide an overview of this country, discuss key facts and situate Angola within the present context. Following this brief overview, we will discuss Angola today with relation to the history of this country and situate present-day Angola within a historical context. Aiming to provide as much explanatory power as possible, this historical overview will be comprehensive, exploratory and in-depth. Following this, we will focus on the major industries and services within Angola and discuss the economic engines of the Angolan economy. We will then discuss the present Angola situation in light of struggle for independence and a 27 year civil war. This research paper will then conclude with an overview of key economic facts and a summation of the present economic situation in Angola today. Introduction Angola, officially called the Republic of Angola, is a Portuguese-speaking Presidential Republic which gained independence from Portugal just over thirty three years ago in 1975. As a Portuguese-speaking country in Africa, Angola is just one of a handful of former Portuguese colonies on the continent which has kept the tongue and made it an official language (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea are the other majority Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa). In order to understand Angola today it is essential that we understand her history and as the largest country in the African empire of Portugal, Angola was heavily influenced by the colonial tradition. Because it is so important, the history of Portuguese influence in Angola will be discussed in-depth below. We now turn to a concise overview of Angola today. As the largest and most populous country in Luso-Africa, Angola has an estimated population of nearly 13 million people. As mentioned above, Portuguese is the official language of the country but other languages are spoken amongst the Angolan people and are recognized as regional languages. A multiethnic country, the current President of Angola is José Eduardo dos Santos and the capital city is Luanda. Luanda is the country’s largest city, seaport and major administrative centre and has an approximate population of 5 million inhabitants. A developing country rich in mineral resources, Angola today remains one of the poorest countries in Africa and is beset by a plethora of social problems. Many of the problems Angola faces today can be attributed to its colonial legacy, which entrenched exploitation and began with the first European encounters as early as in the 15th century (Angola 2008). History Although common in the Western world, it would be ethnocentric to believe that Angolan history began with the arrival of Europeans. In fact, Angolan history is rich and varied and although not fully documented prior to European contact, we do know that the area of present-day Angola was inhabited before the era of Christ. The original inhabitants of present-day Angola were nomadic hunters and gathers of Khoisan origin. By the 1st millennium A.D., the Khoisan-speaking inhabitants were replaced by Bantu tribes during successive waves of Bantu migrations southward. Described by the Europeans as Bushmen, the Bantu people slowly replaced the original Khoisans of Angola and were relatively advanced with knowledge of metal working, agriculture and ceramics. Bantu settlement in Angola led to the formation of multiple kingdoms including the Kingo, Ndongo and the Chokew. The political system of these kingdoms was often tributary agrarian and the ruler, although often considered to be paramount, did not necessarily yield extensive central authority. Portuguese encroachment and settlement in Angola began as early as 1483 and lasted for nearly four hundred years. In recounting the history of Angola it is impossible to ignore the significant impact the Portuguese have had on Angola for centuries. Initially attracted to Angola for its warm climate, vast natural resources including ivory and its abundance of potential slaves, Portugal began its Angolan adventure with the dual purpose of Christianizing the inhabitants of the land and engaging in the profitable slave trade with the rulers of the indigenous kingdoms. Slave-extraction became the primary modus operandi for the Portuguese in Angola, particularly after the expansion of the empire to the Americas and Asia, and thus began a long tradition of exploitation and extraction. Although Portuguese influence in Angola was not uninterrupted – there was a period of Dutch occupation during the 17th century – the inherently inegalitarian and exploitative relationship of the Portuguese to the people of Angola is an underlying characteristic of Angolan history. This bloody history, in fact, paved the way for a violent struggle for Angolan independence, beginning in the early 1960s (Wright 1997). The aptly named Portuguese Colonial War began in the African countries of the Portuguese empire in the early 1960s and eventually culminated in the independence of the modern states of Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea and Angola. The fight for independence in Angola was fought by guerilla leaders and was bitterly contested by Portuguese authorities. Independence was finally won when on April 25th 1974 a group of junior officers in Portugal staged a coup and overthrew the government of the colonial power. A pillar of the post coup government was decolonization in the African colonies and Angola gained her independence in 1975. Civil war followed the end of colonialism and continued for 27 years until it recently ended. This long conflict, pre-independence and most recently post-independence, has had important ramifications in the Angolan economic sphere (Wright 1997). Angolan Industries & Key Economic Factors Ravaged by a bloody civil war which may have killed up to 1.5 million and displaced more than 4 million Angolans, the industry of Angola has suffered as a result of the instability brought about by armed conflict. Despite the civil war, Angola has experienced huge growth rates largely due to high oil prices and the continued extraction of oil. Record oil prices, combined with rising petroleum production, have kept the Angolan economy afloat. Accordingly, the oil sector is the most important industry in Angola, contributing to approximately 85% of the country’s GDP. Infrastructure remains damaged and/or underdeveloped due to the 27 year civil war. Most Angolans survive through subsistence agriculture and the country often faces inflationary pressures which hurt the average Angolan. Although Angola is rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, Atlantic fisheries, forests, and large oil deposits, many of these sectors remain underdeveloped or damaged due to conflict (Angola 2008). Although endowed with extensive natural resources including gold, diamonds and oil, Angola remains a developing country which has not fully utilized its potential. The 27 year civil war has been particularly damaging to the economy and it is estimated that more than 50% of the population is unemployed or underemployed. The GDP is $95.46 billion USD and Angola has a real growth rate of 16.7% - impressive for any country of the world - but the GDP per capita was estimated at a mere $7,800 in 2006. As mentioned above, the oil sector is the most important industry in Angola, contributing to 85% of the country’s GDP; an inherently unstable situation considering the precarious economic markets these days. Although Angola is resource rich, a legacy of harsh colonialism, followed by civil war and violent civil strife has contributed to the continued economic stagnation of Angola. Although annual growth is high, GDP per capita is a better indicator of the lives of the average Angolan today and this figure remains low. Accordingly, an average life expectancy in Angola of 37.92 years for the total population, testifies to the impoverishment of the Angolan people today (Angola 2008). WORKS CITED Central Intelligence Agency. “Angola”. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ao.html Wright, George. Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Towards Angola Since 1945. London: Pluto Press, 1997. Read More