1. Before Portuguese colonisation two distinct kingdoms existed in the region now known as Angola. The kingdom of the Bakongo reigned in the north and the Quimbundos kingdom, also known as Ndongo, dominated in the western and central areas. The king of the Quimbundos was called "Ngola". The country took its name from this king, and became Angola.

2. Angola is one of the largest countries in Africa at 1.247 million square kilometres (481,353 square miles) it is larger than Texas and California combined, or alternatively about four times the size of Germany. With a population of 15 million Angola is a relatively sparsely populated country.

3. Angola is made up of 18 provines, these are Bengo, Benguela, Bié, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanzo Norte, Cuanza Sal, Cunene, Huambo, Huíla, Luanda, Luanda Norte, Luanda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uíge and Zaire.

The largest of the provinces is Moxico in the east and the smallest is the capital territory Luanda in the north west of the country. Luanda is also the most populous province, while Namibe a coastal province in the south west is the least populous.

4. The province of Cabinda in the north of Angola is the only example of an exclave in Africa, in that Cabinda is geographically separate from the rest of Angola as it is bordered in the south and east by the Democratic Republic of Congo and to the north by the Republic of Congo.

5. Angola suffered one of the longest periods of colonial occupation of any Africa country with the Portuguese first establishing a colonial base around Luanda in 1575 up to independence after a bitterly fought liberation war in 1975 a period spanning 400 years.

6. Angola's greatest football success is probably their qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. They upset the odds by clinching a qualification ticket ahead of favourite Nigeria, and against widespread belief put up a creditable performance at the finals drawing with Mexico (0:0) and Iran (1:1) and losing narrowly to Portugal (1:0).

7. Basketball though is Angola's favourite sport and Angola dominates basketball competitions in Africa having won the continental championship seven out of the past eight occasions and represented Africa in the last four Olympics. Currently the 14th best team in the world the 'Palancas Negras' (Black Sable Antelopes) as the Angolan team is popularly known as is made up almost entirely of players from the domestic league.

8. Angola boasts several game reserves and national parks of which the largest is the Lona National Park in the south west of the country by the Namibian border. Other national parks include Bicuan, Cameia, Kangandala, Kissama (Quicama), Luando, Luiana, Mavinga, Mupa and Namibe. Most of Angola's parks were devastated during the civil war that followed independence and a number of conservation projects are ongoing to repopulate them.

9. Angola is the fourth largest producer of crude oil in Africa after Nigeria, Algeria and Libya. The abundance of this natural resource plus the current high price of crude oil in the world market meant that for 2005 Angola had the fastest growing economy in Africa and the second fastest in the world. Hopefully this fortunate position can help ameliorate the effects of the recently ended civil war.

10) The highest mountian in Angola is the Serra (Mount) Moco at 2610m (8563 feet) and it is about a quarter of the height of Mount Everest. Serra Moco is located in the central Huambo Province.



Map of Angola