Angola essays

Angola essays Angola is a country on the southwest coast of Africa. Its official name is the Republic of Angola. The Congo River and Congo (Kinshasa) separate it from the rest of the country. Most of Angola's people live in rural areas and work on farms. Angola produces a variety of crops, including bananas, coffee, corn, sugar cane, and a starchy root called cassava. Angola also has many natural resources, including diamonds, iron ore, and petroleum. Luanda, the capital and largest city, is a major African seaport. A president is the most powerful official in Angola's government. The National assembly, the country's legislature, makes the laws. The people of Angola elect both the president and the National Assembly. The people in Angola are black Africans. The blacks belong to several ethnic groups, including the Ovimbundu, the Mbundu, the Kongo, and the Luanda-Chokwe. Before the nation became independent, more than 400,000 Europeans and mestizos (people of mixed black African and white ancestry) lived in Angola. Most Europeans fled during a civil war that began after the country achieved independence. The people who live in Angola's rural areas work as farmers and herders, and many raise just enough food for their own use. Most black Angolans speak a language that belongs to the Bantu language group. Europeans, mestizos, and some blacks speak Portuguese, the official language. About 90 percent of the people are Christians, mostly Roman Catholics. Others practice religions based on the worship of ancestors and spirits. Angola forms part of the large inland plateau of southern Africa. The country consists chiefly of hilly grasslands, but a rocky desert covers the south. Temperatures average about 70 F in January and about 60 F in June. From 40 to 60 inches of rain falls annually on the northern coast and in most of the interior. Only ...