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ANGOLA
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ANGOLA , the See also:general name of the Portuguese possessions on the See also:west See also:coast of See also:Africa See also:south of the See also:equator. With the exception of the See also:enclave of See also:Kabinda (q.v.) the See also:province lies wholly south of the See also:river See also:Congo. Bounded on the W. by the See also:Atlantic Ocean, it extends along the coast from the See also:southern See also:bank of the Congo (6° S., 12° E.) to the mouth of the Kuncne river (17° 18' S., 110 5o' E.). The coast-See also:line is some 900 M. See also:long. On the See also:north the Congo forms for 8o m. the boundary separating Angola from the Congo See also:Free See also:State. The frontier thence (in 5° 52' S.) goes due See also:east to the Kwango river. The eastern boundary—dividing the Portuguese possessions from the Congo State and Barotseland (N.W. See also:Rhodesia)—is a highly irregular line. On the south Angola See also:borders See also:German South-West Africa, the frontier being See also:drawn somewhat S. of the 17th degree of S. See also:latitude. The areaof the province is about 480,000 sq. m. The See also:population is estimated (1906) at 4,119,000. The name Angola (a Portuguese corruption of the See also:Bantu word Ngola) is sometimes confined to the 105 M. of coast, with its See also:hinterland, between the mouths of the See also:rivers Dande and See also:Kwanza, forming the central portion of the Portuguese dominions in West Africa; in a looser manner Angola is used to designate all the western coast of Africa south of the Congo in the See also:possession of See also:Portugal; but the name is now officially applied to the whole of the province. Angola is divided into five districts: four on the coast, the fifth, Lunda, wholly inland, being the N.E. See also:part of the province. Lunda is part of the old Bantu See also:kingdom of Muata Yanvo, divided by See also:international agreement between Portugal and the Congo Free State.
The coast divisions of Angola are Congo on the N. (from the river Congo to the river Loje), corresponding roughly with the limits of the " kingdom of Congo " (see See also:History below); See also:Loanda, which includes Angola in the most restricted sense mentioned above; See also:Benguella and See also:Mossamedes to the south. Mossamedes is again divided into two portions—the coast region and the hinterland, known as Huilla.
See also:Physical Features.—The coast is for the most part See also:flat, with occasional See also:low cliffs and bluffs of red See also:sandstone. There is but one deep inlet of the sea—Great See also:Fish See also:Bay (or See also:Bahia dos Tigres), a little north of the Portuguese-German frontier. Farther north are See also:Port See also: This intermediate See also:mountain See also:belt is covered with luxuriant vegetation. Water is fairly abundant, though in the dry See also:season obtainable only by digging in the sandy beds of the rivers. The plateau has an See also:altitude ranging from 4000 to 6000 ft. It consists of well-watered, wide, See also:rolling plains, and low hills with scanty vegetation. In the east the tableland falls away to the basins of the Congo and See also:Zambezi, to the south it merges into a barren sandy See also:desert. A large number of rivers make their way westward to the See also:sea; they rise, mostly, in the mountain belt, and are unimportant, the only two of any See also:size being the Kwanza and the See also:Kunene, separately noticed. The mountain chains which See also:form the edge of the plateau, or diversify its See also:surface, run generally parallel to the coast, as Tala Mugongo (4400 ft.), Chella and Vissecua (5250 ft. to 65oo ft.). In the See also:district of Benguella are the highest points of the province, viz. Loviti (778o ft.), in 12° 5' S., and Mt. Elonga (7550 ft.). South of the Kwanza is the volcanic mountain Caculo-Cabaza (3300 ft.). From the tableland the Kwango and many other streams flow north to join the See also:Kasai (one of the largest affluents of the Congo), which in its upper course forms for fully 300 M. the boundary between Angola and the Congo State. In the south-east part of the province the rivers belong either to the Zambezi See also:system, or, like the Okavango, drain to See also:Lake See also:Ngami. See also:Geology.—The See also:rock formations of Angola are met with in three distinct regions: (1) the littoral See also:zone, (2) the median zone formed by a series of hills more or less parallel with the coast, (3) the central plateau. The central plateau consists of See also:ancient crystal-line rocks with granites overlain by unfossiliferous sandstones and conglomerates considered to be of Palaeozoic See also:age. The outcrops are largely hidden under See also:laterite. The median zone is composed largely of crystalline rocks with granites and some Palaeozoic unfossiliferous rocks. The littoral zone contains the only fossiliferous strata. These are of See also:Tertiary and Cretaceous ages, the latter rocks resting on a reddish sandstone of older date. The Cretaceous rocks of the Dombe Grande region (near Benguella) are of See also:Albian age and belong to the Acanthoceras mamillari zone. The beds containing Schloenbachia inflata are referable to the See also:Gault. Rocks of Tertiary age are-met with at Dombe Grande, Mossamedes and near Loanda. The sandstones with See also:gypsum, See also:copper and See also:sulphur of Dombe are doubtfully considered to be of Triassic age. See also:Recent eruptive rocks, mainly basalts, form a line of hills almost See also:bare of vegetation between Benguella and Mossamedes. See also:Nepheline basalts and liparites occur at Dombe Grande. The presence of See also:gum See also:copal in considerable quantities in the superficial rocks is characteristic of certain regions. See also:Climate.—With the exception of the district of Mossamedes, the coast plains are unsuited to Europeans. In the interior, above 3300 ft., the temperature and rainfall, together with See also:malaria, decrease. The plateau climate is healthy and invigorating. The mean See also:annual temperature at Sao See also:Salvador do Congo is 72.5° F.; at Loanda, 74.3°; and at Caconda, 67.2°. The climate is greatly influenced by the prevailing winds, which are W., S.W. and S.S.W. Two seasons are distinguished—the cool, from See also:June to See also:September; and the See also:rainy, from See also:October to May. The heaviest rainfall occurs in See also:April, and is accompanied by violent storms. See also:Flora and See also:Fauna.—Both flora and fauna are those characteristic of the greater part of tropical Africa. As far south as Benguella the coast region is See also:rich in oil-palms and mangroves. In the See also:northern part of the province are dense forests. In the south towards the Kunene are regions of dense See also:thorn scrub. See also:Rubber vines and trees are abundant, but in some districts their number has been considerably reduced by the ruthless methods adopted by native collectors of rubber. The See also:species most See also:common are various See also:root rubbers, notably the See also:Car podinus chylorrhiza. This species and other varieties of carpodinus are very widely distributed. Landolphias are also found. The See also:coffee, See also:cotton and See also:Guinea See also:pepper See also:plants are indigenous, and the See also:tobacco plant flourishes in several districts. Among the trees are several which yield excellent See also:timber, such as the tacula (Pterocarpus tinctorius), which grows to an immense size, its See also:wood being See also:blood-red in See also:colour, and the Angola See also:mahogany. The bark of the musuemba (Albizzia coriaria) is largely used in the tanning of See also:leather. The mulundo bears a See also:fruit about the size of a See also:cricket See also:ball covered with a hard See also:green See also:shell and containing See also:scarlet pips like a See also:pomegranate. The fauna includes the See also:lion, See also:leopard, See also:cheetah, See also:elephant, See also:giraffe, See also:rhinoceros, See also:hippopotamus, See also:buffalo, See also:zebra, See also:kudu and many other kinds of See also:antelope, See also:wild See also:pig, See also:ostrich and See also:crocodile. Among fish are the See also:barbel, See also:bream and See also:African yellow fish. Inhabitants.—The great See also:majority of the inhabitants are of Bantu-See also:Negro stock with some admixture in the Congo district with the pure negro type. In the south-east are various tribes of See also:Bushmen. The best-known of the Bantu-Negro tribes are the Ba-Kongo (Ba-Fiot), who dwell chiefly in the north, and the Abunda (Mbunda, Ba-Bundo), who occupy the central part of the province, which takes its name from the Ngola tribe of Abunda. Another of these tribes, the Bangala, living on the west bank of the upper Kwango, must not be confounded with the Bangala of the See also:middle Congo. In the Abunda is a consider-able See also:strain of Portuguese blood. The Ba-Lunda inhabit the Lunda district. Along the upper Kunene and in other districts of the plateau are settlements of Boers, the See also:Boer population being about 2000. In the coast towns the majority of the See also: Lobito, a little north of Benguella, is a See also:town which See also:dates from 19o5 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea See also:terminus of a railway to the far interior. Noki is on the southern bank of the Congo at the See also:head of See also:navigation from the sea, and close to the Congo Free State frontier. It is available for ships of large See also:tonnage, and through it passesthe Portuguese portion of the See also:trade of the See also:lower Congo. See also:Ambriz —the only seaport of consequence in the Congo district of the province—is at the mouth of the Loje river, about 70 M. N. of Loanda. Novo Redondo and Egito are small ports between Loanda and Benguella. Port Alexander is in the district of Mossamedes and S. of the town of that name.
In the interior Humpata, about 95 M. from Mossamedes, is the chief centre of the Boer settlers; otherwise there are none but native towns containing from t000 to 3000 inhabitants and often enclosed by a See also:ring of sycamore trees. Ambaca and Malanje are the chief places in the fertile agricultural district of the middle Kwanza, S.E. of Loanda, with which they are in railway communication. Sao Salvador (pop. 15oo) is the name given by the Portuguese to Bonza Congo, the chief town of the " kingdom of Congo." It stands 1840 ft. above sea-level and is about 16o m. inland and too S.E. of the river port of Noki, in 6° 15' S. Of the See also:cathedral and other See also: The See also:city walls were destroyed in the closing years of the 19th century and the stone used to build See also:government offices. There is a fort, built about 185o, and a small military force is at the disposal of the Portuguese See also:resident. Bembe and Encoje are smaller towns in the Congo district south of Sao Salvador. Bihe, the capital of the plateau district of the same name forming the hinterland of Benguella, is a large See also:caravan centre. Kangomba, the See also:residence of the See also: Oxen, introduced from See also:Europe and from South Africa, flourish. There are sugar factories, where See also:rum is also distilled and a few other manufactures, but the prosperity of the province depends on the " See also:jungle " products obtained through the natives and from the plantations owned by Portuguese and worked by indentured labour, the labourers being generally " recruited " from the far interior. The trade of the province, which had grown from about £800,000 in 1870 to about I3,000,000 in 1905, is largely with Portugal and in Portuguese bottoms. Between 1893 and 1904 the percentage of Portuguese as compared with See also:foreign goods entering the province increased from 43 to 201 %, a result due to the preferential duties in force. The minerals found include thick beds of copper at Bembe, and deposits on the M'Brije and the Cuvo and in various places in the southern part of the province; See also:iron at Ociras (on the Lucalla affluent of the Kwanza) and in Bailundo; See also:petroleum and See also:asphalt in Dande and Quinzao; gold in Lombije and Cassinga; and mineral salt in Quissama. The native See also:black-smiths are held in great repute. Communications.—There is a See also:regular steamship communication between Portugal, See also:England and See also:Germany, and Loanda, which port is within sixteen days' See also:steam of See also:Lisbon. There is also a regular service between Cape Town, Lobito and Lisbon and See also:Southampton. The Portuguese line is subsidized by the government. The railway from Loanda to Ambaca and Malanje is known as the Royal Trans-African railway. It is of See also:metre See also:gauge, was begun in 1887 and is some 300 M. long. It was in-tended to carry the line across the See also:continent to See also:Mozambique, but when the line reached Ambaca (225 m.) in 1894 that See also:scheme was abandoned. The railway had created a See also:record in being the most expensive built in tropical Africa—£8942 per mile. A railway from Lobito Bay, 25 M. N. of Benguella, begun in 1904, runs towards the Congo-Rhodesia frontier. It is of See also:standard African gauge (3 ft. 6 in.) and is worked by an See also:English See also:company. It is intended to serve the See also:Katanga copper mines. Besides these two See also:main See also:railways, there are other See also:short lines linking the seaports to their hinterland. Apart from the railways, communication is by ancient caravan routes and by ox-See also:wagon tracks in the southern district. See also:Riding-oxen are also used. The province is well supplied with telegraphic communication and is connected with Europe by submarine cables. Government and See also:Revenue.—The See also:administration of the province is carried on under a See also:governor-general, resident at Loanda, who acts under the direction of the See also:ministry of the colonies at Lisbon. At the head of each district is a See also:local governor. Legislative See also:powers, See also:save those delegated to the governor-general, are exercised by the See also:home government. Revenue is raised chiefly from customs, See also:excise duties and See also:direct See also:taxation. The revenue (in 1904-1905 about £350,000) is generally insufficient to meet See also:expenditure (in 1904-1905 over £49o,000)—the See also:balance being met by a See also: It was, however, about this See also:time ravaged by cannibal invaders (Bangala) from the interior, and Portuguese See also:influence gradually declined. The See also:attention of the Portuguese was, moreover, now turned more particularly to the southern districts of Angola. In 1627 the See also:bishop's seat was removed to Sao Paulo de Loanda and Sao Salvador declined in importance. In the 18th century, in spite of hindrances from See also: From that date the See also:sovereignty of Portugal over the coast-line, from its See also:present southern limit as far north as Ambriz (70 50' S.) has been undisputed save between 164o and 1648, during which time the Dutch attempted to expel the Portuguese and held possession of the ports. Whilst the economic development of the country was not entirely neglected and many useful food products were introduced, the prosperity of the province was very largely dependent on the slave trade with See also:Brazil, which was not legally abolished until 183o and in fact continued for many years subsequently. In 1884 Great See also:Britain, which up to that time had steadily refused to acknowledge that Portugal possessed territorial rightsnorth of Ambriz, concluded a treaty recognizing Portuguese sovereignty over both See also:banks of the lower Congo; but the treaty, See also:meeting with opposition in England and Germany, was not ratified. Agreements concluded with the Congo Free State, Germany and France in 1885-1886 (modified in details by subsequent arrangements) fixed the limits of the province, except in the S.E., where the frontier between Barotseland (N.W. Rhodesia) and Angola was determined by an Anglo-Portuguese agreement of 189r and the See also:arbitration See also:award of the king of See also:Italy in 1905 (see AFRICA: History). Up to the end of the loth century the hold of Portugal over the interior of the province was slight, though its influence extended to the Congo and Zambezi basins. The abolition of the See also:external slave trade proved very injurious to the trade of the seaports, but from I 86o onward the agricultural resources of the country were See also:developed with increasing See also:energy, a See also:work in which Brazilian merchants took the See also:lead. After the definite See also:partition of Africa among the See also:European powers, Portugal applied herself with some seriousness to exploit Angola and her other African possessions. Nevertheless, in comparison with its natural See also:wealth the development of the country has been slow. See also:Slavery and the slave trade continued to flourish in the interior in the See also:early years of the 20th century, despite the prohibitions of the Portuguese government. The See also:extension of authority over the inland tribes proceeded very slowly and was not accomplished without occasional reverses. Thus in September 1904 a Portuguese See also:column lost over 300 men killed, including 114 Europeans, in an encounter with the Kunahamas on the Kunene, not far from the German frontier. The Kunahamas are a wild, raiding tribe and were probably largely influenced by the revolt of their southern neighbours, the Hereros, against the Germans. In 1905 and again in 1907 there was renewed fighting in the same region. (Documentos) (Lisbon, 1877) ; A See also:Report of the Kingdom of Congo (See also:London, 1881), an English See also:translation, with notes by Margarite See also:Hutchinson, of Filippo Pigafetta's Relalione del Rearm di Congo (See also:Rome, 1591), a See also:book founded on the statements and writings of Duarte See also:Lopez; Rev. Thos. See also:Lewis, " The Ancient Kingdom of Kongo " in See also:Geographical See also:Journal, vol. xix. and vol. xxxi. (London, 1902 and 19o8); The See also:Strange Adventures of See also:Andrew Battell of See also:Leigh in Angola and the Adjoining Regions (London, 1901), a See also:volume of the See also:Hakluyt Society, edited by E. G. Ravenstein, who gives in appendices the histo of the country from its See also:discovery to the end of the 17th century; J. C. Feo Cardozo, Memorias contendo . . . . a historia dos governadores e capitaens generaes de Angola, desde 1575 See also:ate 1825 (See also:Paris, 1825) ; H. W. Nevinson, A See also:Modern Slavery (London, 1906), an examination of the system of indentured labour and its recruitment; Ornithologie d'Angola, by J. V. Barboza du See also:Bocage (Lisbon, 1881); " Geologie See also:des Colonies portugaises en Afrique," by P. Choffat, in Cam. d. service geol. du Portugal. See also the annual reports on the Trade of Angola, issued by the See also:British Foreign See also:Office. 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