Angola Profile


Angola Profile

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The area now known as Angola became home to Portuguese settlers and traders in the 16th Century, and became a Portuguese Colony in 1655, before its status changed when it became a province of Portugal in 1951. By the end of that decade there was growing unrest in the province, mainly due to enforced cotton harvesting and the Angolan War of Independence erupted in 1961, lasting a long fourteen years and ending with independence just as Portugal's own regime fell. Angola was granted independence on 11th November 1975, however, despite a long and bloody war to overthrow Portugal, a further twenty-seven year civil war raged until 2002 as the country broke down into factions. It is estimated that around one and a half million of the country's eighteen million citizens were killed during this Angola war, with millions more being displaced.



The latest constitution, adopted in 2010, did away with presidential elections, and introduced a system in which the president and the vice-president of the political party that wins the parliamentary elections automatically become president and vice-president, effectively menaing an authoritarian state. Ravaged by decades of war, the country faces many acute problems, not least being the landmines that litter the country, presenting an imminent danger to transport and life there. In fact, visitors are strongly advised not to even venture outside the capital city of Luanda. Angola is in 148th place out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country with a life expectancy for males and females of 60.78 years (2018). Angola has one of the highest infant mortality rates of any country in the world.


Angola Profile


Half of all children in Angola live below the poverty line, just 51% of the child population has access to safe water supplies and 16% of all children are underweight. Yet, despite a high level of disease and low take up rates of education, improvements are being felt across the country as stability takes hold. Despite this, there are thousands of children living on the streets of Luanda, living in extreme poverty and at risk of emotional, physical and sexual exploitation. And children across Angola have been affected by the decades of war, facing displacement, violence, starvation and the loss of family members, scarring them for life.




Angola Profile: Volunteer in Angola

African Volunteer Work: Angola


Check out all the latest fee paying and free African volunteer work placements and charity work job opportunities abroad with local projects and volunteering organisations in Angola.

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Angola Profile: Angola History

Angola History


Charting the history of Angola from the arrival of the Portuguese, the slave trade to the civil war, together with an Angola history video documentary.

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Angola Profile: Life inside Angola

Inside Angola


Information, facts, images and video about daily life in Angola today as the country continues to rebuild after years of war.

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Angola Profile: Angola Children

Angola Children


About life for children in Angola in facts, information and video where over half live in poverty in rural areas together with details of projects and programs to support children in Angola.

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Angola Profile: Street Children

Street Children Angola


Facts, figures and video together with details of projects and programs supporting street children in Angola.

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Angola Profile: Angola Child Witches

Angola Child Witches


About child witches in Angola together with facts about the background to the rising phenomena and an Angola child witches video documentary.

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Angola Profile: Angola Images

Angola Images


Picture images of the countryside and main features of Angola, set to Angola music together with an Angola images music video.

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Angola Profile: Angola Poverty

Angola Poverty


Exploring poverty in Angola with the gap between rich and poor increasing together with facts, figures and pictures and an accompanying video.

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Angola Profile: Angola Refugees

Angola Refugees


Information, facts, images and video about the situation of refugees from Angola who are living in refugee camps.

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Angola Profile: Angola Education

Angola Education


Life today in a classroom in Angola together with facts and figures about the education system in Angola and an Angola education video.

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Angola Profile: Luanda Profile

Luanda Profile


A complete profile of Luanda, capital city of Angola, in this video documentary charting the history of Luanda and the city today.

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Angola Profile: Luanda Airport

Luanda Airport


Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport is the main airport in Angola two miles from the capital where you will probably enter Angola for your volunteering experience.

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Angola Profile: Child Sponsor Angola

Child Sponsor Angola


Details of how to sponsor children in Angola with Angolan child sponsor organisations, charities, programs and projects.

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Angola Profile: Angola Map

Angola Map


Use this Google Earth satellite map of Angola to explore and take a virtual tour of Angola in Africa and zoom in on places of interest in Angola

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Angola Profile: Angola News

Angola News


Read all the latest and breaking news from Angola here at our Angola profile portal.

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