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M'banza-Kongo

capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province

305km

-6.2614.24

Cabinda (city)

the wealthy capital of oil-rich Cabinda Province

379km

-5.5612.19

Lobito

a beachfront city, basically part of Benguela, which is the epicentre of Carnavale celebrations.

385km

-12.3523313.54743
Sights (4)

Nossa Senhora do Carmo

church in Luanda

2.4km

-8.8161111113.23305556

Museu Nacional de História Natural de Angola

A museum filled with thousands of species of animals, including fish, birds, crustaceons, and insects. Many of the displayed animals are endangered, and some are even extinct. The museum does an impeccable job of displaying the large amount of diverse organisms that inhabit and once inhabited this nation.

2.6km

-8.815213.2385

Fortress of São Miguel

Built in 1576, it became the administrative center of Luanda during the early part of colonial rule and was a self-contained city for the early military garrison and an important holding place for slaves. It contains ornate wall tiles detailing the history of the city along with many relics, such as cannons and the original holding cells for slaves.

3.6km

-8.8078611113.22322222

National Museum of Slavery (Angola)

Built in the area where the slaves were held prior to being taken off to the Americas. The museum building is the Capa de Casa Grande, which is where they baptized slaves prior to sending them off to the Americas. The museum is worth seeing for the chapel itself and the cannons on the outside. In the center of the chapel is a fascinating stone font, but with no description. There are a few period objects of real interest (such as stocks, a whip, shackles), but the framed prints on the walls are mostly copies from published works, with relatively little accompanying information. On a mid-week visit there was no evidence of any knowledgeable guide, and no one available to turn on the video flatscreen monitor that seems to be part of the exhibit. Still, the high, windswept location is beautiful.

19km

-8.9588888913.10472222
Nature

we will see

Luanda

Angola
Someday we will visit Luanda or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Luanda

Luanda, the capital of Angola, is on the Atlantic coast. Its current renaissance is a truly inspiring success story. Decades of conflict, which only really ended in 2002, had long held Angola back. Since the start of the 21st century there has been a massive boom in construction in Luanda, where peace and stability have attracted numerous foreign companies to invest in offices in the city. The government of Angola, getting rich off revenue from oil, diamond, and other natural resources, is also investing heavily in and around Luanda, including large social housing high-rise blocks of flats to replace slums and existing dilapidated (and often bullet-ridden) tower blocks; extensive repaving; the construction of several six-lane highways leading out of the city; the reconstruction of railway lines leading out of the city; and a large new airport on the south side which had been set to open in 2011 but which is more than ten years in the making and still not open as of early 2016.

Around one-third of Angolans live in Luanda, 53% of whom live in poverty. Living conditions in Luanda are poor for most of the people, with essential services such as safe drinking water and electricity still in short supply, and severe shortcomings in traffic conditions. On the other hand, luxury constructions for the benefit of the wealthy minority are booming. Luanda is one of the world's most expensive cities for resident foreigners.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

29.5°C23.9
Precipitation: 30 mm

Feb

30.5°C24.7
Precipitation: 36 mm

Mar

30.7°C24.6
Precipitation: 114 mm

Apr

30.2°C24.3
Precipitation: 136 mm

May

28.8°C23.3
Precipitation: 16 mm

Jun

25.7°C20.3
Precipitation: 0 mm

Jul

23.9°C18.7
Precipitation: 0 mm

Aug

24°C18.8
Precipitation: 1 mm

Sep

25.4°C20.2
Precipitation: 2 mm

Oct

26.8°C22
Precipitation: 7 mm

Nov

28.4°C23.3
Precipitation: 32 mm

Dec

28.6°C23.5
Precipitation: 31 mm
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