Angola is a country in south central Africa bordering Namibia to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province Cabinda has a border with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A former Portuguese colony, it has considerable natural resources, among which oil and diamonds are the most significant. The country is nominally a democracy and is formally named the Republic of Angola



Over most of Angola the weather and climate are typical of a tropical plateau, with a single wet season at the time of high sun between October and March and a long dry season. The table for Huambo shows this very clearly. Here both daytime and, particularly, night time temperatures are reduced by altitude to produce a pleasant variety of tropical climate.

Above 5,000 ft temperatures around the year are temperate rather than tropical and frost is not unknown. The dry season shortens by a month or two in the north of the country, as compared with Huambo, which has five virtually rainless months. Over most of the interior the mean annual rainfall is between 40 in and 60 in, being greater at higher levels.

The coastal region of Angola has a most unusual climate for the latitude. Temperature and rainfall are much reduced in a strip about fifty miles wide, as a direct consequence of the cold Benguela current, which flows from south to north along the shore. This current is responsible for the almost total absence of rain on the coast of Namibia to the south.

The same extreme dryness prevails in the southern coastal district of Angola as shown by the table for Mossamedes. The coastal region is desert or semi desert as far north as Luanda but there is a gradual increase of rainfall northwards until, in the far north, it is over 24 in per year.

Angolas economy has undergone a period of transformation in recent years, moving from the disarray caused by a quarter century of war to being the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world.

You will find beaches near the cities, with or without coconut palm trees and some almost deserted of people, but in all beaches the sand is white and the water clear, clean and warm.

Hospitality has not changes in 30 years of war has not changed this characteristic of the Angolan people.

Good fish, good meat, good shellfish, strong spices, many culinary specialities and competent chefs, results in one of the best gastronomes of Africa.

Dance and Music includes sensual movements, hot African Caribbean rhythms and kuduros, strong emotions along with what there is of best in the African Continent.

Souvenirs of ivory, wood ceramics and metal of great beauty and originality. Painting is very developed.

The evolution of Angola is very specific that originates situations, behaviours and an atmosphere rather unusual.