Pre-Revolutionary conditions highlight the exploitation of locals.
The Portuguese Colonial Act (1933) created a barrier in all Portuguese colonies between the Portuguese and indigenous populations. The Act reaffirmed and codified differences between the Portuguese and Angolans. The Act gave rise to anti-colonial, pro-Angolan culture. Viriato da Cruz, a prominent Angolan politician formed the Movement of Young Intellectuals (1948) that reaffirmed and promoted local, Angolan cultural. [7] The movement was a symbolic, early indication of dissatisfaction of colonial power.
The Angolan Revolution was prolonged into a long, bloody Civil War because the influence of external powers. Angola fails to rebuild and reconstruct due to the continual, economic and structural influence of foreign nations.
The Angolan War for Independence resulted an estimated 500,000 Angolan casualties and less than 10,000 Portuguese casualties. [1]
The Angolan Civil War proceeded the Angolan War for Independence. The Angolan Civil War lasted twenty-six years. The Civil War was a power struggle between the People’s Movement for the LIberation of Angola (MPLA) and National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The Civil War acted as a proxy war, and echoed the continual conflict between The United States and The Soviet Union. [2] The United States and the Soviet Union provided a significant amount of military assistance to the MPLA and UNITA, resulting in the prolonged episode of civil war in Angola.
The revolution and subsequent civil war brought about little economic and social stability.
Despite large increases in gross domestic product and national wealth, Angola remains a largely under-developed country. By some estimates, more than 1/3 of the population relies on subsistence agriculture. [3] Agriculture does not play a large role in Angola’s economy. Oil and Diamonds account for more than 90% of Angola’s exports and gross domestic product, leaving a large segment of the population uninvolved in Angola’s primary economic industries. [4]
As result of the long-lasting War for Independence and Civil War, large-scale agricultural activities are no longer profitable or feasible. Many fields are littered with landmines and are too arid to produce crop. [5] In use of agricultural resources, Angola remains one of the least productive sub-saharan African countries.
Angola’s primary economic resource is its oil. Oil accounts for more than 95% of Angola’s exports with diamonds accounting for another 4%. [4] Angola is known as the oil and diamond country because it relies on solely on oil and diamonds for its economic activity.
The oil industry provides a significant amount of Angola’s tax revenue. In 2011, oil taxes account for about 80 percent of total government tax revenue. [6] The high dependence on oil production creates a susceptible environment that prohibits Angola from developing other industries.