The following is a special report from the Angolan Embassy in Korea in celebration of the southern African nation’s 37th anniversary of independence from Portugal. Angola’s Independence Day is celebrated on Nov. 11. ― Ed.
 

Angolans celebrate the 37th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Angola on Nov. 11. The Angolan people have overcome considerable barriers and external interference but, through their perseverance and fortitude, they achieved national independence in 1975 and have seen tremendous nationwide development since 2002.

Angola is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the northeast, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west. The exclave of Cabinda also borders the Republic of the Congo to the north. Angola’s capital, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic coast in the northwest of the country.

Angola has a rich subsoil heritage, from diamonds, oil, gold and copper, as well as a rich abundance of wildlife, forest and fossils. Since independence, oil and diamonds have been the country’s most important economic resource. That said, smallholder and plantation agriculture have begun to grow since 2002.

Angola established relations with Korea in 1992, after signing the general agreement on economic, technical and scientific cooperation. During this period, there were two sessions of a joint committee between the two countries, and the second session was held in August 2009, where commitments were made to strengthen cooperation. Since 2005 the quantity of imports and exports between the two countries has increased, which is the fruit of close cooperation in various fields.

Finally, after peace was achieved on April 4, 2002, Angola has developed an ambitious program for development: Strengthening democracy and the internal cohesion; developing institutional capacity and achieving significant improvements in governance; ensuring high economic growth and improving the quality of citizen’s lives; and national reconstruction.

In this environment of peace and stability, intelligent and realistic economic policies adopted by the Angolan government ― leading to the consolidation of macroeconomic stability and laying the foundations for sustained growth and development ― has allowed the Angolan economy to grow more than any other economy in Africa and, indeed, the world.

Overall, Angola’s economy has undergone a period of transformation. Angola is now the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world, with an average GDP growth of 20 percent between 2005 and 2007. From 2001 to 2010, Angola had the world’s highest average GDP annual growth at 11.1 percent. In 2004, China’s Eximbank approved a $2 billion line of credit to Angola. The loan is being used to rebuild Angola’s infrastructure. Angola estimates growth for 2011 at 7 percent, including more than 2 percent for the oil sector.

Diamonds and oil make up 60 percent of Angola’s economy, almost all its revenue and are its dominant export. Growth is almost entirely driven by oil production, which surpassed 1.4 million barrels per day in late 2005 and 2 million barrels per day by 2007. Control of the oil industry is consolidated in Sonangol Group, a conglomerate owned by the Angolan government. In December 2006, Angola was admitted as a member of OPEC. The economy grew 18 percent in 2005, 26 percent in 2006 and 17 percent in 2007.

Although the global recession led to a minor economic downturn in Angola in 2009, security brought about by the 2002 peace settlement has led to the resettlement of 4 million displaced persons, and large-scale increases in agricultural production.

Angola’s population is estimated to be 20 million. It is composed of Ovimbundu (language Umbundu) 37 percent, Ambundu (language Kimbundu) 25 percent, Bakongo 13 percent, and 32 percent consist of other ethnic groups (including the Ovambo, Ganguela and the Xindonga), as well as about 2 percent mesticos (mixed European and African) and 1 percent European. The population of Angola is forecast to grow to over 47 million people by 2060.

The languages in Angola are those originally spoken by the different ethnic groups, as well as Portuguese due to its being a former Portuguese colony. The indigenous languages with the largest usage are Umbundu, Kimbundu and Kikongo, in that order. Portuguese is the country’s official language.

Angola’s mastery of the official language of Portuguese is more extensive than elsewhere in Africa, and this certainly applies to its use in everyday life. The proportion of native (or near native) speakers of the language of the former colonizer is no doubt considerably higher than in any other African country.

There are about 1,000 religious communities in Angola, most of them Christian. While there are no reliable statistics, it is estimated that most of the population is Roman Catholic, while about a quarter of Angolans adhere to protestant churches introduced during the colonial period. Muslims, practically all of them immigrants from West African and other countries and belonging to the Sunnite branch, represent only about 1 percent

Portugal was present in Angola for 400 years, occupied the territory in the 19th and early 20th century, and ruled over it for about 50 years. As a consequence, both countries share cultural aspects: language and religion. Of course, Angolan culture is African, mostly Bantu, while Portuguese has been imported. The diverse ethnic communities ― the Ovimbundu, Ambundu, Bakongo Chokwe and other peoples ― maintain to varying degrees their own cultural traits, traditions and languages. In the cities, however, where slightly more than half of the population now lives, a mixed culture has been emerging since colonial times.

In Luanda, since its foundation in the 16th century, a Portuguese-based culture has become more dominant. An African influence is evident in music and dance, and is molding the way in which Portuguese is spoken, but has almost disappeared from the vocabulary. This process is well reflected in contemporary Angolan literature, especially in the works of Pepetla and Ana Paula Ribeiro Tavares. Leila Lopes, Miss Angola 2011, was crowned Miss Universe in September this year in Brazil, making her the first Angolan to win the pageant.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)