History of Angola

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Map of Angola showing its international boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana. The capital city, Luanda, is marked on the Atlantic coast. An inset locator map highlights Angola's position on the African continent.

Map of Africa showing the location of the historical Kingdom of Kongo, highlighted in orange along the west-central coast near the Atlantic Ocean, in the region overlapping present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Surrounding countries and geographic features are labeled for context.

Map of Southern Africa highlighting the principal peoples present from the 17th to mid-19th century, with names of groups such as San, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Herero, and others labeled across the region. Major rivers, lakes, plateaus, and select towns are shown, along with some physical features and archaeological sites. Modern political boundaries are outlined for reference.

Map of Africa highlighting the location of the historical kingdom of Ndongo in orange, situated in present-day Angola along the continent's southwestern coast. Surrounding countries and bodies of water such as the Atlantic Ocean are labeled for geographic context.

Colonization of Africa: Maps, Timeline, Decolonization, & Independence

Map of colonial southern Africa from 1884 to 1905, using color codes to show territories controlled by Britain, Portugal, and Germany at different times. The map highlights British-controlled areas in orange, Portuguese-controlled areas in purple, German-controlled areas in green, and disputed regions in red, with boundaries and key colonial regions labeled. Major features include German South West Africa, German East Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Colony, and the Orange Free State.

Antique map from 1902 showing central Africa with colonial territories labeled as Kamerun, French Kongo, Kongo Free State, Portuguese West Africa, British East Africa, German East Africa, East Africa, and Rhodesia. The map details rivers, cities, and borders of the era, with an inset map of Madagascar in the lower right corner.

Map of Africa showing the territorial divisions and colonial possessions by European powers from the late 19th to early 20th century. Countries and regions are color-coded to indicate British, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and German control, with independent countries and British-Egyptian condominium also marked. The map highlights the extent and timing of colonization, with most of the continent under European rule except for Ethiopia and Liberia.

Map of Africa in 1960 showing the political status of each territory or country. Many countries gained independence that year, including Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Countries already independent at that time included Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, and South Africa. More than 20 territories remained under colonial rule.

History of Angola: Media

Images

Angola

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Angola showing its international boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana. The capital city, Luanda, is marked on the Atlantic coast. An inset locator map highlights Angola's position on the African continent.

Angola

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa showing the location of the historical Kingdom of Kongo, highlighted in orange along the west-central coast near the Atlantic Ocean, in the region overlapping present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Surrounding countries and geographic features are labeled for context.

historical kingdom of Kongo

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Southern Africa highlighting the principal peoples present from the 17th to mid-19th century, with names of groups such as San, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Herero, and others labeled across the region. Major rivers, lakes, plateaus, and select towns are shown, along with some physical features and archaeological sites. Modern political boundaries are outlined for reference.

Principal peoples of Southern Africa, 17th to mid-19th century

Map showing the approximate locations of the principal peoples of Southern Africa...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa highlighting the location of the historical kingdom of Ndongo in orange, situated in present-day Angola along the continent's southwestern coast. Surrounding countries and bodies of water such as the Atlantic Ocean are labeled for geographic context.

historical kingdom of Ndongo

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of colonial southern Africa from 1884 to 1905, using color codes to show territories controlled by Britain, Portugal, and Germany at different times. The map highlights British-controlled areas in orange, Portuguese-controlled areas in purple, German-controlled areas in green, and disputed regions in red, with boundaries and key colonial regions labeled. Major features include German South West Africa, German East Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Colony, and the Orange Free State.

Colonial Southern Africa, 1884–1905

European penetration into Southern Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Antique map from 1902 showing central Africa with colonial territories labeled as Kamerun, French Kongo, Kongo Free State, Portuguese West Africa, British East Africa, German East Africa, East Africa, and Rhodesia. The map details rivers, cities, and borders of the era, with an inset map of Madagascar in the lower right corner.

Portuguese West Africa, c. 1902

Map of Central Africa, showing Portuguese West Africa (now Angola) on the left, from...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa showing the territorial divisions and colonial possessions by European powers from the late 19th to early 20th century. Countries and regions are color-coded to indicate British, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and German control, with independent countries and British-Egyptian condominium also marked. The map highlights the extent and timing of colonization, with most of the continent under European rule except for Ethiopia and Liberia.

colonization of Africa by European countries

Map showing the colonization of Africa by European countries in the early 1900s.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa in 1960 showing the political status of each territory or country. Many countries gained independence that year, including Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Countries already independent at that time included Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, and South Africa. More than 20 territories remained under colonial rule.

Africa: Political status in 1960

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portrait of Agostinho Neto, President of Angola, wearing dark glasses, a suit, and a patterned tie, 1978.

Agostinho Neto

Angolan liberation leader Agostinho Neto, pictured here in 1978, served as Angola's...

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Africa and the Middle East in the 1960s and '70s

Africa and the Middle East in the 1960s and '70s

More than 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East gained independence in the 1960s...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos in a dark pinstripe suit and tie speaks in front of a red vertical banner.

José dos Santos

Angolan president José dos Santos addresses the media in Berlin, Germany, February...

Sean Gallup/Getty Images News

João Lourenço

João Lourenço

Angolan president João Lourenço during a state visit to Italy, May 24, 2023.

© President of the Italian Republic; https://www.quirinale.it/

Interactives

Colonization of Africa: Maps, Timeline, Decolonization, & Independence

Colonization of Africa: Maps, Timeline, Decolonization, & Independence

Learn about the colonization of Africa, the process of decolonization that led to...

© Encyclopaedia Britannica