Top5 Interesting Facts About Angola That Will Shock You

In this article we will explore some of the interesting facts about Angola. Angola is a beautiful country located on the southwest coast of Africa. It 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 population of Angola is 34 million people, and its capital is Luanda. There are many interesting facts about Angola. This article shares five facts that you might not know. So let’s know.

5) Calandula Falls

One of the interesting facts about Angola is that Angola is home to the Calandula Falls, one of Africa’s largest waterfalls, measuring 410 meters wide and dropping 105 meters. To visit the falls, it’s best to hire a car from Luanda, which is a six-hour drive on basic roads through diverse landscapes. The falls have a unique horsetail shape along the Lukala River in Northwestern Angola and plunge about 344 feet. The crest length averages around 1,300 feet and can extend to nearly 2,000 feet during the rainy season.

4) Natural Resources

One of the interesting facts about Angola is that Angola has abundant natural resources, including oil, gas, diamonds, iron ore, phosphate, copper, gold, and manganese. These resources greatly benefit the economy and have positioned Angola among the top ten wealthiest countries in Africa. Despite this wealth, the country’s true mining potential is not fully realized, even though there have been exploration and exploitation projects, particularly in diamonds.

The mining industry is crucial for Angola due to the high quality of its minerals. However, the government struggles to attract major investors because of issues like human rights abuses, widespread corruption, and mineral smuggling, especially diamonds. Despite these challenges, Angola’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, largely due to effective use of its natural resources.

3) Young Population

One of the interesting facts about Angola is that Angola has a young population, with around 34 million people as of 2022. About 70% are under the age of 25, making Angola a productive country regarding its labor force. Angola has a very young and rapidly growing population, with a median age of just 16 in 2020, one of the lowest in Africa and the world. Only two percent of the population is aged 65 or older.

Over the past decade, the death rate has decreased by more than 60%, while life expectancy at birth has increased. Alongside population growth, urbanization is also rising, with over 66 percent of Angolans living in urban areas, a trend that has been growing for years. Approximately one-third of the population resides in Luanda, the capital, which has more than 2.7 million people, making it one of Africa’s most populous cities. However, rapid urbanization has led to issues, including the rise of poor and informal neighborhoods.

2) Sport

One of the interesting facts about Angola is that Football, also known as soccer, is the most popular sport in Angola, followed by basketball. The national team qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and many Angolan footballers play internationally, especially in Portugal and France, reflecting Angola’s history as a Portuguese colony since the late 15th century.

The Angola National Football Association, known as federesau and golana, was established in 1979 after Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975. This organization manages the national football leagues, Kirabola and Gira Angola, and oversees both the men’s and women’s national teams. Angola hosted the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the Angola Women’s National team has not qualified for any World Cup or Olympic games, though they have participated in the African championships four times, achieving their best result by reaching the semi-finals of the 1995 Africa Women’s Cup.

1) Isabel dos Santos

One of the interesting facts about Angola is that Isabel dos Santos is the richest woman in Africa and the eldest daughter of former Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos. In 2013, Forbes magazine named her Africa’s first female US dollar billionaire after her wealth exceeded 2 billion dollars. Following her graduation from King’s College London, she invested in various companies in Angola, holding managerial roles in sectors such as technology, cleaning, and environmental work.

Her first job was as a project manager, where she collaborated with her father on a project called Urbana 2000, aimed at cleaning and disinfecting Luanda. This experience helped develop her business skills. Isabel dos Santos has an estimated net worth of approximately 3.3 billion dollars.