The territory that is Angola today was home to African kingdoms of complex organisation, among them the Kingdom of Kongo, Ndongo and Matamba. Contact with Portugal began in the late fifteenth century and gave way to centuries of colonial presence, marked by the transatlantic slave trade and by African resistance, of which Queen Njinga Mbande is one of the greatest figures.
The armed struggle for national liberation began in 1961. Independence was proclaimed on 11 November 1975, followed by a long internal conflict that ended in 2002. The Bicesse Accords of 1991 and the Lusaka Protocol of 1994 marked stages in the peace process.
From 2002 Angola entered a period of national reconstruction, investing in infrastructure, education and health, and consolidated its diplomatic role in Southern Africa and the Great Lakes region.
Key dates
- 1482Portuguese navigators reach the mouth of the Congo River
- 4 February 1961The armed struggle for national liberation begins
- 11 November 1975Independence proclaimed
- 1991The Bicesse Accords
- 1994The Lusaka Protocol
- 2002End of the armed conflict
National Symbols
The Flag, the Insignia and the National Anthem of the Republic of Angola.