Introduction
Angola (a Wikipedia link) is a country on the western coast of southern Africa with a population of about 37 million people. It is bordered to the north by the Congo, to the east by Zambia, to the south by Namibia, and to the west by the Atlantic ocean. Its capital and largest city is Luanda.
It is ruled by the president under an authoritarian regime. There are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. The country operates under a constitution (a Wikipedia link) that was adopted in 2010.
History
Early inhabitants and kingdoms
- Early settlement: San hunter-gatherer groups inhabited the region for millennia.
- Bantu migration: Bantu-speaking groups arrived in the first millennium CE. They introduced iron working and agriculture.
- Indigenous kingdoms: Centralized states emerged, including the Kingdom of Kongo in the north and the Kingdom of Ndongo. The name “Angola” originates from the title Ngola which was used by the kings of Ndongo.
Portuguese exploration and colonization
- 1482: Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão arrived at the Congo River – beginning centuries of European contact.
- 1575: Portuguese colonists founded Luanda, which later became Angola’s capital.
- Slave trade: The area became a hub for the trans-Atlantic slave trade – forcibly shipping over a million people (mostly to Brazil).
- 19th to early 20th century: Portugal expanded its control from coastal settlements into the interior. It finalized colonial borders by 1915.
- 1951: Portugal altered Angola’s “colony” status to an overseas province.
Independence and civil war
- 1961: An anti-colonial armed struggle broke out. It was led by rival nationalist movements including the MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA.
- 1974: A revolution in Portugal overthrew its dictatorship – leading to the collapse of its colonial empire and an agreement to transfer power.
- 11 Nov 1975: Angola gained independence, with the Soviet-backed and Cuban-backed MPLA taking control.
- 1975–2002: A devastating 27-year civil war began between the government (MPLA) and rebel groups (primarily UNITA). The situation was complicated by Cold War conflicts involving the US, the Soviet Union, and South Africa.
Modern Angola
- 2002: The civil war ended following the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, thus bringing peace and a transition to a constitutional republic.
- Present day: Angola is working to rebuild its infrastructure and to develop its economy, driven heavily by oil and diamond resources. It is trying to address challenges with wealth distribution and living standards.
Current day
Religion in Angola (a Wikipedia link) is as follows (as of 2024):
- Christianity: 79.1%
- Catholicism: 44.2%
- Protestant: 34.9%
- No religion: 11.5%
- Other religion: 9.0%
- Islam: 0.4%
The constitution of Angola provides for freedom of religion. Angola is officially a secular state and Article 10 of its constitution mandates the separation of church and state.
Issues
The Government banned 17 religious groups in Cabinda on charges of practicing harmful exorcism rituals on adults and children accused of witchcraft, illegally holding religious services in residences, and not being registered. Although the law does not recognize the existence of witchcraft, abusive actions committed while practicing a religion are illegal. Members of these groups were not harassed, but two leaders were convicted in 2006 of child abuse and sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment.
Governmental agencies, church groups, and civil society organizations continued campaigns against traditional religions that involve shamans, employ animal sacrifices, or were identified as practicing witchcraft.
Interestingly, there are close to no other reported issues in Angola arising from religious activity.
There is also no persecution or hindrance to those wanting to avoid religion.
Secular and atheist groups
There are no official (registered) secular or atheist groups in Angola because the government requires a group to have at least 100,000 adult members across various provinces to obtain legal status.
The Humanist Party of Angola (a Wikipedia link) is the most visible secular presence in Angolan politics.