Portuguese Angolans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portuguese Angolan (Portuguese: luso-angolano) is a person of Portuguese descent born in Angola.
[edit] History
During the Age of Discovery in the 15th century, the Portuguese reached Angola and exported millions of native Africans for slave trade to be brought to Portugal before sending most of them to Brazil.The first Portuguese settlements in Angola were made in 16th century. The Portuguese and blacks settlers made peace with each other, and some Portuguese married black natives resulting in a mixed-race (mestiço) population. Pure-blooded Portuguese are still large in number and they live throughout Angola. Angola was declared a formal Portuguese province in 19th century, but only in early 20th century when mainland government allowed big white emigration and settlement to Angola and its other provinces. In 1960s, Angola has less than 400,000 Portuguese settlers and they had improved its economy, but since António de Oliveira Salazar ruled that time, few thousands of them left for other countries, especially Namibia, Brazil, and United States. Blacks and some mestiços and whites wanted to rule themselves and revolted against Portuguese rule in 1974. Independence was given in 1975, and most Portuguese stepped out after that. Exodus of most Portuguese residents was frowned by blacks and mestiços who really wanted to be with Portuguese rule, since they improved Angolan economy. Most of them went to Portugal, where they were called retornados and were not welcomed, while others moved to neighboring Namibia (then a South African territory), Brazil, or United States.
When Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries was established in 1996, Portuguese and some ethnic Portuguese from Brazil entered Angola to set-up businesses to improve the economy and work as teachers to increase the Portuguese-language fluency of the population. In the 21st century, more Portuguese settlers came. Among them settled Angola as their permanent home and it increased the Portuguese-Angolan population, numbering more than 100,000.
[edit] Language and Religion
Their native language is Portuguese, which is also the official language and lingua franca of Angola. Their dialect called Angolan Portuguese is closer to European Portuguese than Brazilian dialects. Among them speak any of the major Bantu languages – notably Kimbundu, Mbundu, and Kikongo – as second languages. Many educated Portuguese Angolans learn English. Most of them are Christians, most are Roman Catholics (Portuguese rule made Angola a Roman Catholic nation) with some Protestants. Some are Jews, whose ancestors escaped Inquisition.
[edit] See also
|
||||||||
