HISTORY Angola was discovered in 1482 by the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão, who found the land ruled by an African monarch, the King of the Congo. In 1490 Goncalo de Sousa was sent on a formal mission to the monarch, and shortly thereafter the first missionaries entered. As the King was friendly, Portuguese colonists began arriving, and also entered what is now the Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Around the middle of the 16th century, however, Portuguese colonists began to withdraw to the coast because of civil wars in the Congo Kingdom. The monarch was deposed in these wars and appealed to the Portuguese for help. An expedition defeated the rebels, and in 1570 the King was reestablished on his throne. In 1575 Luanda was founded. Between 1621 and 1648 a struggle took place between the Dutch and Portuguese for possession of Angola, and the Dutch held Luanda from 1640 to 1648. An expedition from (then Portuguese) Brazil threw out the Dutch and returned the capital to Portuguese hands. During the height of the African slave trade, Angola became a major source of supply for the Brazilian plantations and remained so until the middle of the 19th century. The boundaries of Angola were finally settled by the agreements at the Congresses of Berlin, 18851886, in which France, Germany, and Portugal won recognition of the borders of their colonies with the Congo. The frontier with Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) was finally settled in 1905. Tribal wars and uprisings were common, continuing into the early part of the 20th century, when separate uprisings were put down by the Portuguese in northern, central, and southern Angola. In recent years the Portuguese have shown much interest in Angola as an area for European settlement. Agricultural and mineral production have been developed at a faster pace. GOVERNMENT By constitutional amendment in 1952 the colony of Angola became an Overseas Province of Portugal, and as such it is considered by the Portuguese to be an integral part of Portugal. Considerable control over Angolan affairs is exercised by the central Government (the Cabinet) in Lisbon through the Overseas Ministry, which is headed by an official of cabinet rank. This minister is advised by the Overseas Council which is composed of members representing metropolitan and overseas interests. Angola is represented in the 130man Portuguese National Assembly by seven delegates. The territorial government is led by a Governor General nominated by the Overseas Ministry and appointed by the Council of Ministers. The Governor General exercises both executive and legislative authority under the guidance of the Overseas Minister in Lisbon. In his executive duties he is assisted by advice from an Economic and Social Council of 17 members-eight chosen by various corporate groups (civil service, cultural organizations, business interests, and labor), four nominated by the Governor General, and five government officials ex officio (the Governor General himself, the Rector of the University studies program, and three directors of provincial civil, economic, and educational administrative services). In his legislative capacity the Governor General is advised by a 37-member Legislative Council, 15 of whom are elected by the direct vote of qualified voters, and the remainder selected by the various interest groups. The Governor General is the presiding officer, while the Attorney General and the director of the Angolan provincial treasury serve ex officio. While the legislation reconstituting these councils has granted a larger degree of administrative and financial authority to the territory, considerable authority remains with the central Government in Lisbon. The system of government in Angola, like that of metropolitan Portugal, is based on the corporate state. There is no parliamentary opposition; the only political party is the National Union (Uniao Nacional). For purposes of administration the territory is divided into 15 districts, with governors advised by district boards and administrators of posts. City and town councils, concelhos or circumscriptions, parishes, and rural regedorias for tribal areas complete the governing structure. The organization of the individual tribes, which generally corresponds to traditional arrangements, has no formal relationship to the modern system of government in the territory. However, native chiefs are considered to be representatives of the Government in the areas under their jurisdiction. They hold limited administrative powers and are paid salaries by the state for carrying out their duties as ordinary civil servants. In this manner Portuguese administration is close to and influences directly all activities at the tribal level. POLITICAL CONDITIONS The Portuguese territories in Africa are among the few remaining European-ruled areas on the continent. As other countries in Africa have become independent, attention has focused on the Portuguese territories. Revolts in Angola, Mozambique, and Portuguese Guinea have increased the pressure on Portugal, and Portuguese rule in Africa has been the subject of study and debate by the Security Council, General Assembly, committees, and specialized agencies of the United Nations. An outbreak of insurrection in northern Angola in March 1961, following disturbances in Luanda the month before, focused international interest on the future of Portuguese Africa and first made the future of these territories a continuing issue at the United Nations. In 1966 new insurgent activities began in eastern Angola. Since the fall of 1961 Portugal has announced various measures of reform for its African territories. Some are aimed at alleviating the social and political conditions of the Africans (doing away with compulsory labor; expanding school, health, and public welfare facilities; granting citizenship to all peoples of the territory); others are intended to bolster ties between the overseas territories and the metropole (constitutional revisions granting some additional authority to the provincial government). Progress has been made in implementing some of the reforms; others require further action. A major bloc to faster progress in the territories has been the shortage of money and trained personnel to carry out reforms. Meanwhile, the independent African states, which joined together in 1963 to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU), have charged the OAU's African Liberation Committee with responsibility to assist nationalist movements in European-ruled territories of southern Africa. The Committee has provided financial aid to Angolan nationalist movements as well as assisting in the training and arming of guerrilla forces. The guerrilla warfare which erupted in northern Angola in March 1961 has since declined considerably in intensity and is now restricted to several areas in the northwest and eastern parts of the territory. Also, Angolan nationalist organizations appear to have experienced dissension and various splinter groups have formed. The principal nationalist party has been the Union of the Populations of Angola (UPA), which provided the leadership for the 1961 insurrection. Later UPA joined with other groups to form the Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile (GRAE) with headquarters in Kinshasa. The GRAE has been recognized by a number of African states as well as by the OAU. A second Angolan nationalist organization, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), now headquartered in Brazzaville, has been behind guerrilla activities in Cabinda, as well as in eastern Angola, since 1966. The third major nationalist group is the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Based in Zambia, UNITA has been active in the eastern districts of Angola. ECONOMY Most people in Angola are engaged in subsistence agriculture. While the economy is quite underdeveloped, it clearly has considerable potential for growth. There is some foreign investment in Angola, and a number of Portuguese firms have hired foreign technicians. Still, the modern sector of the economy is almost entirely in the hands of the Portuguese, who provide direction, finance, and skills. Portuguese traders are present throughout the territory. The building boom evident in almost all cities is the result of Portuguese effort, as are the industrial expansion and colonization schemes, all aimed at developing the resources of the land. Substantial changes in the economy have taken in recent years. Since 1953 three plans place have allocated more than $525 million for the development of Angola. Much has been spent on the construction of roads, communications lines, and other infrastructure needs. Although both modern and subsistence sectors of the economy are primarily agricultural, petroleum exploration and iron ore projects are becoming more important and the industrial segment continues to expand considerably. Despite much effort, however, the economy is still not sufficiently diversified to withstand international price fluctuations. The main factors limiting Angolan development are lack of capital, a shortage of skilled workers, and an inadequate system of transportation. Most of the African population is engaged in agricultural activities and many remain entirely in a subsistence economy. Major export commodities include coffee, petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, and sisal. Angola is the third largest coffee producer in the world, and half the crop is sold to the United States. In 1966 Angolan exports to the United States amounted to $51 million, while imports from the United States were only $17 million. In 1966 the Gulf Oil Corporation announced the discovery of sizable petroleum reserves offshore of Cabinda district and plans for the exploitation of these reserves. Angola imports automotive and construction equipment, pharmaceuticals, manufactures, textiles, and wine, mainly from Portugal. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany also have been important sources of supply. Angola and metropolitan Portugal have separate currencies. A law enacted in 1963 aims at a progressive unification of currencies in the territories and the metropole. It also calls for abolition of tariffs on trade between these areas and an expanded flow of funds and goods in the Portuguese common market. As a first step, all duties on goods imported into the metropole from the overseas territories were terminated on January 1, 1964. FOREIGN RELATIONS Portugal's policy is aimed at maintaining the territorial integrity of the nation which, constitutionally, includes the metropole and the overseas territories. Government statements emphasize the goal of creating a multiracial, pluricultural society. At the United Nations Portugal maintains that the situation in Angola and the other Portuguese overseas territories in Africa is a domestic matter outside the competence of the international organization and that warfare going on in the north and east of Angola has been stimulated, organized, and supported from abroad. U.S. POLICY United States policy toward Angola rests on three basic points: (1) consistent with national principles, the Government believes that all peoples are entitled to the right of self-determination; (2) the Govern- The United States recognizes the contribution PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Governor General-Lt. Col. Camilo Rebocho VAZ Provincial Secretary for Health, Labor, Insurance, Provincial Secretary for Education-Dr. Jose Pin- Provincial Secretary for Economy-Dr. Jorge Ed- Provincial Secretary for Rural Development-Dr. Provincial Secretary for Public Works and Com- ✶ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1967 0-305-211 (38) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLICATION 7962 Office of Media Services UCT 26 €7 Background Notes are short, factual pamphlets about various nations of the world which provide infor- Listed below are those now available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Afghanistan (pub. 7795) Albania (pub. 8217) Algeria (pub. 7821) Cameroon (pub. 8010) Canada (pub. 7769, 10 cents) Central Africa Republic (pub. 7970) Ceylon (pub. 7757) Chad (pub. 7669) Chile (pub. 7998) China, Communist (pub. 7751) China, Republic of (pub. 7791) Congo, Brazzaville (pub. 7896) Congo, Léopoldville (pub. 7793) Cyprus (pub. 7932) Czechoslovakia (pub. 7758) Dominican Republic (pub. 7759) El Salvador (pub. 7794) Equatorial Guinea (pub. 8025) Finland (pub. 8262) France (pub. 8209) Gabon (pub. 7968) The Gambia (pub. 8014) Germany, Federal Republic of Germany, Soviet Zone of (pub. 7957) Ghana (pub. 8089) Greece (pub. 8198) Guatemala (pub. 7798) Japan (pub. 7770, 10 cents) Korea (pub. 7782) Kuwait (pub. 7855) Lebanon (pub. 7816) Lesotho (pub. 8091) Liberia (pub. 7991) Libya (pub. 7815) Luxembourg (pub. 7856) Malagasy Republic (pub. 8015) Maldive Islands (pub. 8026) Netherlands Antilles (pub. 8223) Pakistan (pub. 7748) Panama (pub. 7903) Paraguay (pub. 8098) Peru (pub. 7799) Portugal (pub. 8074) Portuguese Guinea (pub. 7966) Qatar (pub. 7906) Saudi Arabia (pub. 7835) Senegal (pub. 7820) Singapore (pub. 8240) Somali Republic (pub. 7881) South Arabia (Aden) (pub. 7997) Spanish Sahara (pub. 7905) Sudan (pub. 8022) Sultanate of Muscat, Oman (pub. 8070) Swaziland (pub. 8174) Sweden (pub. 8033) Syria (pub. 7761) Trucial Shaikhdoms (pub. 7901) Tunisia (pub. 8142) Turkey (pub. 7850) Uganda (pub. 7958) United Arab Republic (pub. 8152) U.S.S.R. (pub. 7842, 10 cents) Yemen (pub. 8170) Yugoslavia (pub. 7773) Zambia (pub. 7841) |