Luanda, Angola
Luanda is the capital of Angola and one of Africa's largest Portuguese-speaking cities. An Atlantic port founded by the Portuguese in 1576, it grew rapidly during the oil boom of the 2000s-2010s and is one of Africa's most expensive cities for expatriates.
Highlights
- Fortaleza de São Miguel (1576) overlooking the bay
- Marginal da Baía promenade and Ilha do Cabo beaches
- Roque Santeiro (formerly Africa's largest open-air market)
- Major Atlantic oil exports through nearby offshore fields
History
Founded by Paulo Dias de Novais in 1576, Luanda was a centre of the transatlantic slave trade for centuries, then capital of Portuguese Angola and, after the 1975 independence and the long civil war (ended 2002), capital of independent Angola.
Economy
Luanda is Angola's economic heart — oil exports through nearby offshore fields, diamonds, and a small but growing non-oil economy. Hyperinflation and economic crisis have followed the post-2014 oil price collapse, but Luanda remains the dominant city in Angola's economy.
Neighborhoods
Ingombota and Maianga are the colonial centre; the Marginal is the upscale waterfront; Talatona is the new business district to the south; Cazenga and Sambizanga are populous townships.
Distances from Luanda
Calculate distance and flight time from Luanda to other major African cities: