Luanda is a booming city of four and a half million people, making it the largest city in Angola. As the capital of Angola, Luanda is the administrative center of the country, as well as being the second largest port. Luanda is also the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop.
A former Portuguese colony, Luanda has been throughout its history an important port. Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, Luanda was known among the native African population as Loanda, meaning “flat land.” Unfortunately, there was no water supply until 1889 when an aqueduct was opened providing a reliable water supply for the city. In the 1950s, a rise in coffee price allowed for spectacular growth in the city. Angola gained its independence from Portugal in 1975.
Houston’s business ties to Angola are strong. 27 Houston companies have subsidiary offices in Angola, and one Angolan-owned company has offices in Houston. Angola is one of Houston’s top 3 trading partners in West Africa. Trade between Houston and Angola was valued at $2.3 billion in 2009, with an average annual increase of 17.4 percent in the last decade!
Fast Facts:
Population: 4.5 million approximately
Country: Angola
Continent: Africa
Latitude & Longitude: 8.5˚ S 13.14˚ E
GMT Time Difference: GMT + 1:00 hours
Time Difference from Houston: + 7:00 hours
Distance from Houston: 7626.6 miles (12273.8 km)
Climate: Average temperature of 77˚ F (25˚ C) in January and 66˚ F (19˚ C) in August with 150 mm of rain fall in April, but very limited rainfall the rest of the year.
Language: Portuguese (official); other African languages are also spoken
Governmental Structure: Luanda is a province with the ability to make executive decisions about what happens with in its region.
Current Mayor: The Honorable Francisca do Espirito Santo, Interim Governor of Luanda
Other Sister Cities: Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Porto, Portugal
Additional Information:
City of Luanda Website
Consulate General of Angola in Houston
Embassy of Angola