Angola

This article is about the country in Africa. For other uses, see Angola (disambiguation). República de Angola Republic of Angola Flag Coat of arms

Motto: "Virtus Unita Fortior" (Latin)
"Unity Provides Strength" Anthem: Angola Avante! (Portuguese)
Forward Angola!
Capital
(and largest city) Luanda
8°50′S, 13°20′E Official languages Portuguese Recognised regional languages Kongo, Chokwe, South Mbundu, Mbundu Demonym Angolan Government Presidential republic - President José E. dos Santos - Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias
dos Santos Independence from Portugal - Date November 11, 1975 Area - Total 1,246,700 km² (23rd)
481,354 sq mi - Water (%) negligible Population - 2005 estimate 15,941,000 (61st) - 1970 census 5,646,177 - Density 13/km² (199th)
34/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $43.362 billion (82nd) - Per capita $2,813 (126th) HDI (2007) ▲0.446 (low) (162nd) Currency Kwanza (AOA) Time zone WAT (UTC+1) - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+1) Internet TLD .ao Calling code +244

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (Portuguese: República de Angola, pronounced IPA: [ʁɛ'publikɐ dɨ ɐ̃'gɔlɐ] Kongo: Repubilika ya Ngola), is a country in south-central Africa bordering Namibia to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province Cabinda has a border with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola is a former Portuguese colony and has considerable natural resources, most notably petroleum and diamonds.

1 History
2 Politics
3 Administrative divisions
- 3.1 Exclave of Cabinda
4 Military
5 Police
6 Geography
7 Economy
8 Demographics
9 Culture
10 See also
11 Further reading
12 References
13 External links

History

Main article: History of Angola

Queen Nzinga in peace negotiations with the Portuguese governor in Luanda, 1657.

Khoisan hunter-gatherers are some of the earliest known modern human inhabitants of the area. They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations, though small numbers of Khoisan remain in parts of southern Angola to the present day. The geographical areas now designated as Angola first became the subject to incursions by Europeans in the late 15th century. In 1483 Portugal established a base at the river Congo, where the Kongo State, Ndongo and Lunda existed. The Kongo State stretched from modern Gabon in the north to the Kwanza River in the south. In 1575 Portugal established a colony at Cabinda based on slave trade. Before the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade, slavery was practiced in Africa by many indigenous peoples. The African slave trade provided a large number of black slaves to Europeans and their African agents. For example, in what is now Angola, the Imbangala had economies which were heavily focused on the slave trade.[1][2] Within the Portuguese Empire, most black African slaves were traded to Brazilian merchants arrived to Portugal's African ports from other Portuguese colony - Brazil (South America) - seeking cheap workforce for use on Brazilian agricultural plantations. This trade would last until the first half of the 1800s. The Portuguese gradually took control of the coastal strip throughout the sixteenth century by a series of treaties and wars forming the Portuguese colony of Angola. Taking advantage of the Portuguese Restoration War, the Dutch occupied Luanda from 1641 to 1648, where they allied with local peoples to consolidate their colonial rule against the remaining Portuguese resistance.

Colonial era

Main article: Colonial history of Angola

In 1648, Portugal retook Luanda and initiated a conquest of the lost territories, which restored the pre-occupation possessions of Portugal by 1650. Treaties regulated relations with Congo in 1649 and Njinga's Kingdom of Matamba and Ndongo in 1656. The conquest of Pungo Andongo in 1671 was the last great Portuguese expansion, as attempts to invade Congo in 1670 and Matamba in 1681 failed. Portugal expanded its territory behind the colony of Benguela in the eighteenth century, and began the attempt to occupy other regions in the mid-nineteenth century. The process resulted in few gains until the 1880s. Full Portuguese administrative control of the interior didn't occur until the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1951, the colony was designated as an overseas province, called Portuguese West Africa. Portugal had a presence in Angola for nearly five hundred years, and the population's initial reaction to calls for independence was mixed.

Independence

Main articles: Carnation Revolution and Alvor Accords

Leftist military officers overthrew the Caetano government in Portugal in the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974. The transitional government opened negotiations with the three main independentist guerrilla groups: MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA, concluding separate peace agreements with each organization. With Portugal out of the picture, the nationalist movements turned on each other, fighting for control of Luanda and international recognition. Holden Roberto, Agostinho Neto, and Jonas Savimbi met in Bukavu, Zaire in July and agreed to negotiate with the Portuguese as one political entity. They met again in Mombasa, Kenya on January 5, 1975 and agreed to stop fighting each other, further outlining constitutional negotiations with the Portuguese. They met for a third time in Alvor, Portugal from January 10-15.[3]

Roberto, Neto, Savimbi, and the Portuguese government signed the Alvor Agreement on January 15, setting November 11 as the date for independence. Alvor marked Angola’s transition from the war for independence to the war for Luanda. Portuguese authorities deliberately excluded the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) and Eastern Revolt from participating in the negotiations to ensure Angola’s territorial integrity, in direct opposition to the de Spínola’s plans for Angola.[4] The coalition government the Alvor Agreement established soon fell as nationalist factions, doubting one another's commitment to the peace process, tried to take control of the colony by force.[3][5]

Civil war

Main article: Angolan Civil War

When it was known that Portuguese authorities and military forces would leave the territory and hand over power to the nationalist groups, a mass exodus of civilian Portuguese citizens ensued. The Angolan Civil War (1975 - 2002), one of the largest and deadliest Cold War conflicts, erupted shortly after and lasted 27 years, ravaging the economy, disturbing social order and disrupting social stability in the newly independent country. Over 500,000 people lost their lives,[6] mostly in the 1990s, as the three main factions and several smaller ones struggled for supremacy. Thousands of Angolan refugees suffered with the conflict and left the country or simply fled to other regions of Angola. Today, all parties to conflict are active politically, but the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola's (MPLA) victory in the war prevents any opposition candidate or ethnic group from challenging dos Santos and the Kimbundu’s "de facto " control of the country. The MPLA’s base is among the Kimbundu people and the multiracial intelligentsia of Luanda. The National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA), based in the Bakongo region of the north, allied with the United States, the People's Republic of China and the Mobutu government in Zaïre. The United States, South Africa, and several other African nations also supported Jonas Savimbi's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), whose ethnic and regional base lies in the Ovimbundu heartland of central Angola.[2][7][8]

Ceasefire with UNITA

Main article: 2000s in Angola

On February 22, 2002, Jonas Savimbi, the leader of UNITA, was killed in combat with government troops, and a cease-fire was reached by the two factions. UNITA gave up its armed wing and assumed the role of major opposition party. Although the political situation of the country began to stabilize, President dos Santos has so far refused to institute regular democratic processes. Among Angola's major problems are a serious humanitarian crisis (a result of the prolonged war), the abundance of minefields, and the actions of guerrilla movements fighting for the independence of the northern exclave of Cabinda (Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda). While most of the internally displaced have now returned home, the general situation for most Angolans remains desperate, and the development facing the government challenging as a consequence.[9]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Angola

Angola's motto is Virtus Unita Fortior, a Latin phrase meaning "Virtue is stronger when united." The executive branch of the government is composed of the President, the Prime Minister (currently Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos) and Council of Ministers. Currently, political power is concentrated in the Presidency. The Council of Ministers, composed of all government ministers and vice ministers, meets regularly to discuss policy issues. Governors of the 18 provinces are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the president. The Constitutional Law of 1992 establishes the broad outlines of government structure and delineates the rights and duties of citizens. The legal system is based on Portuguese and customary law but is weak and fragmented, and courts operate in only twelve of more than 140 municipalities. A Supreme Court serves as the appellate tribunal; a Constitutional Court with powers of judicial review has never been constituted despite statutory authorization. Critics have drawn an ironic comparison between Angola's current one-party rule and the authoritarian government of António de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal, under whose rule Angolans began their revolt for independence.

The current government has announced an intention to hold elections in 2009. These elections would be the first since 1992 and would serve to elect both a new president and a new National Assembly.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Provinces of Angola and Municipalities of Angola

Angola is divided into eighteen provinces (províncias) and 163 municipalities.[10] The provinces are:

Exclave of Cabinda

Main articles: Cabinda and Republic of Cabinda

With an area of approximately 7,283 km² (2,800 square miles), the Northern Angolan province of Cabinda is unique in being separated from the rest of the country by a strip, some 60 km wide, of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) along the lower Congo river. Cabinda borders the Congo Republic to the north and north-northeast and the DRC to the east and south. The town of Cabinda is the chief population centre. According to a 1995 census, Cabinda had an estimated population of 600,000, approximately 400,000 of whom live in neighbouring countries. Population estimates are, however, highly unreliable. Consisting largely of tropical forest, Cabinda produces hardwoods, coffee, cocoa, crude rubber and palm oil. The product for which it is best known, however, is its oil, which has given it the nickname, "the Kuwait of Africa". Cabinda's petroleum production from its considerable offshore reserves now accounts for more than half of Angola's output. Most of the oil along its coast was discovered under Portuguese rule by the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (CABCOG) from 1968 onwards. Since Portugal handed over sovereignty of its former overseas province of Angola to the local independentist groups (MPLA, UNITA, and FNLA), the territory of Cabinda has been a theatre of separatist guerrilla actions opposing the Government of Angola (which has employed its military forces, the FAA – Forças Armadas Angolanas) and Cabindan separatists. The Cabindan separatists, FLEC-FAC, created a virtual Federal Republic of Cabinda under the Presidency of N'Zita Henriques Tiago. In its website, it claimed to be committed to building a Republic of Cabinda in which "freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish". This Federal Republic, with Tchiowa (Cabinda) as its capital city, would be administratively made up of seven districts, with a system of government which the website simply describes as a "true democracy" and a legal system based on traditional N'Goyo law. One of the characteristics of the Cabindan independence movement is its constant fragmentation, into smaller and smaller factions, in a process which the Angolan government, although not totally fomented by it, undoubtedly encourages and duly exploits it.

Military

Main article: Military of Angola

The Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) is headed by a Chief of Staff who reports to the Minister of Defense. There are three divisions--the Army, (Exército), Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MGA), and Air and Air Defense Forces (Força Aérea Nacional, FAN). Total manpower is about 110,000. The army is by far the largest of the services with about 100,000 men and women. The Navy numbers about 3,000 and operates several small patrol craft and barges. Air force personnel total about 7,000; its equipment includes Russian-manufactured fighters, bombers, and transport planes. There are also, Brazilian made EMB-312 Tucano for Training role, Czech made L-39 for training and bombing role, Czech Zlin for training role and a variety of western made aircraft such as C-212\Aviocar, Sud Aviation Aloutte III, etc. A small number of FAA personnel are stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville).

Police

The National Police departments are: Public Order, Criminal Investigation, Traffic and Transport, Investigation and Inspection of Economic Activities, Taxation and Frontier Supervision, Riot Police and the Rapid Intervention Police. The National Police are in the process of standing up an air wing, which will provide helicopter support for police operations. The National Police are also developing their criminal investigation and forensic capabilities. The National Police has an estimated 6,000 patrol officers, 2,500 Taxation and Frontier Supervision officers, 182 criminal investigators and 100 financial crimes detectives and 90 Economic Activity Inspectors.

The National Police have implemented a modernization and development plan to increase the capabilities and efficiency of the total force. In addition to administrative reorganization; modernization projects include procurement of new vehicles, aircraft and equipment, construction of new police stations and forensic laboratories, restructured training programs and the replacement of AKM rifles with 9 mm UZIs for police officers in urban areas.

Geography

Satellite image of Angola, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library

Main article: Geography of Angola

At 481,321 square miles (1,246,700 km²), [1] Angola is the world's twenty-third largest country (after Niger). It is comparable in size to Mali and is nearly twice the size of the US state of Texas, or five times the area of the United Kingdom.

Angola is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-east, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west. The exclave of Cabinda also borders the Republic of the Congo to the north. Angola's capital, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic coast in the north-west of the country. Angola's average temperature on the coast is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 °C) in the winter and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 °C) in the summer.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Angola

Luanda is Angola's capital city and economic and commercial hub.

Angola's economy has undergone a period of transformation in recent years, moving from the disarray caused by a quarter century of war to being the second fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world. In 2004, China's Eximbank approved a $2 billion line of credit to Angola. The loan is being used to rebuild Angola's infrastructure, and has also limited the influence of the International Monetary Fund in the country.[11]

Growth is almost entirely driven by rising oil production which surpassed 1.4 million barrels (220,000 m³) per day in late-2005 and which is expected to grow to 2 million barrels (320,000 m³) per day by 2007. Control of the oil industry is consolidated in Sonangol Group, a conglomerate which is owned by the Angolan government. In December 2006, Angola was admitted as a member of OPEC.[12] The economy grew 18% in 2005, 26% in 2006 and 17.6% in 2007 and it's expected to stay above 10% for the rest of the decade. The security brought about by the 2002 peace settlement has led to the resettlement of 4 million displaced persons, thus resulting in large-scale increases in agriculture production.

The country has developed its economy since political stability arose in 2002. However, it faces huge social and economic problems as a result of an almost continual state of conflict since 1961, although the highest level of destruction and socio-economic damage was reached after the 1975 independence, during the long years of civil war. Rapidly rising production and revenues from the oil sector have been the main driving forces behind the improvements in overall economic activity – nevertheless, poverty remains widespread. Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International rated Angola one of the 10 most corrupt countries in the world in 2005. The capital city is the most developed and the only large economic center worth mentioning in the country, however, slums called musseques, stretch for miles beyond Luanda's former city limits.

According to an American think tank, oil from Angola has increased so significantly that Angola now is the Chinese Communist Party's biggest supplier of oil.[13]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Angola

Angola is composed of Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestiços (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, and 22% 'other' ethnic groups.[14]

Angola is a majority Christian country, with 53% of citizens professing the religion. Most Angolan Christians are Roman Catholic, 38%, or Protestant, 15%. 46.8% of Angolans practice indigenous beliefs.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Angola

Portugal ruled over Angola for 400 years and both countries share cultural aspects: language (Portuguese) and main religion (Roman Catholic Christianity). The Angolan culture is mostly native Bantu which was mixed with Portuguese culture. In the Moxico province more than 10,000 persons are Spanish-speaking (ca. 4.34% of the population of this province) due to the presence of Cuban troops during the civil war.

References

^ Boahen, Adu Boahen. Topics In West African History, 110.
^ a b Kwaku Person-Lynn. Afrikan Involvement In Atlantic Slave Trade (HTML). Retrieved on 2007-11-25, 2007.
^ a b Rothschild, Donald S. (1997). Managing Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Pressures and Incentives for Cooperation, 116.
^ Spínola met with President Mobutu of Zaire, on September 15, 1974 on Sal island in the Cape Verde, crafting a plan to empower Roberto, Savimbi, and Daniel Chipenda of the Eastern Revolt. Mobutu and Spínola wanted to diminish Neto's standing and present Chipenda as the MPLA head. Mobutu particularly preferred Chipenda to Neto because Chipenda supported autonomy for Cabinda and Neto did not. The Angolan exclave has immense petroleum reserves estimated at around 300 million tons which Zaire, and thus the Mobutu government, depended on for economic survival.
^ Tvedten, Inge (1997). Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction, 36.
^ Angola's 25 Years of Civil War - UN Security Council
^ Scherrer, Christian P. (2002). Genocide and Crisis in Central Africa: Conflict Roots, Mass Violence, and Regional War, 335.
^ Wayne Madsen (2002). Report Alleges US Role in Angola Arms-for-Oil Scandal (HTML). CorpWatch. Retrieved on 2007-09-04, 2007.
^ Lari (2004), Human Rights Watch (2005)
^ Virtual Angola Facts and Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
^ The Increasing Importance of African Oil. Power and Interest Report (March 20, 2006).
^ "Angola: Country Admitted As Opec Member", Angola Press Agency, 2006-12-14.
^ Into Africa: China's Grab for Influence and Oil
^ CIA - The World Factbook - Angola

External links

Find more about Angola on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources

Government

Portuguese

Republic of Angola (official government portal)
National Assembly of Angola

News

Mwangole News about music from Angola and events, Videos, Mp3
children of Angola – a web documentary on the forgotten children of Angola.
- Newspapers from Angola – The most important online newspapers from Angola.
Mwangole Amizades Angola Dating, relationship, and more
allAfrica - Angola – News headline links
Angola Press – Government-controlled news agency (in Portuguese, French and English)
Angola Xyami - Angola Minha Terra (in Portuguese) – Reflections end News on new Angola in peace
Angonoticias (in Portuguese) – A popular news source in Angola
Mangole (in Portuguese) – A full news source in Angola and web directory of Angolan sites online
Televisão Pública de Angola (in Portuguese) – Angola's state-owned national TV station
Rádio Nacional de Angola (in Portuguese) – Angola's state-owned national radio station
Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese) – A popular newspaper in Angola
400 Years Ago – Washington Post news story on the possible fate of the first African slaves taken to US.
[2] – "Amputee Beauty Pageant Crowns Miss Landmine 2008" news story about new beauty pagent in Angola for women who lost limbs in landmines admist the nation's civil war.

Politics

Other

Geographic locale v • d • e Countries of Africa

West Africa

Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo

North Africa

Algeria · Egypt1 · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia · Western Sahara

Central Africa

Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe

East Africa

Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rwanda · Seychelles · Somalia · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Southern Africa

Botswana · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland

Dependencies British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) · Canary Islands (Spain) · Ceuta (Spain) · Madeira (Portugal) · Mayotte (France) · Melilla (Spain) · Réunion (France) · St. Helena2 (UK) · Socotra (Yemen)Unrecognized Puntland · Somaliland · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

1 Partly in Asia. 2 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.

International membership and history v • d • e Southern African Development Community (SADC)Angola · Botswana · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Lesotho · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Seychelles · South Africa · Swaziland · Tanzania · Zambia · Zimbabwe

v • d • e African Union (AU)

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

v • d • e Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)Members: Angola · Brazil · Cape Verde · East Timor · Guinea-Bissau · Mozambique · Portugal · São Tomé and PríncipeObservers: Equatorial Guinea · Mauritius

v • d • e Latin Union

Andorra · Angola · Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Cape Verde · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · France · Guatemala · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Holy See · Honduras · Italy · Mexico · Moldova · Monaco · Mozambique · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Portugal · Romania · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Sovereign Military Order of Malta · Spain · Timor-Leste · Uruguay · Venezuela

Official languages: Catalan · French · Italian · Portuguese · Romanian · Spanish

v • d • e South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation ZoneAngola • Argentina • Benin • Brazil • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Republic of the Congo • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Côte d'Ivoire • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Liberia • Namibia • Nigeria • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Sierra Leone • South Africa • Togo • Uruguay

v • d • e Niger-Congo-speakingnations Kordofanian Sudan

Mande

Côte d'Ivoire
Nigeria

Burkina Faso
Benin

Togo

Atlantic-Congo

Atlantic
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
CAR

Ijoid
Nigeria

Chad
Côte d'Ivoire
Gambia
Guinea

Dogon
Mali

Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Mali

Mauritania
Niger
Senegal

Sierra Leone
Sudan
Togo

Volta-Congo

Senufo
Benin
Côte d'Ivoire
Mali

Gur
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana
Mali
Nigeria
Togo

Adamawa-Ubangi
Cameroon
CAR
Chad
Nigeria

Kru
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Liberia

Kwa
Benin
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana
Nigeria
Togo

Benue-Congo

Bantu
Angola
Botswana
Burundi
Cameroon
DRC

Yorubaand Igbo
Nigeria

Rep. of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Kenya

Nigeria
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia

Rwanda
South Africa
Swaziland

Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

CAR = Central African Republic DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo

v • d • e Portuguese Empire North Africa

15th century
1415–1640 Ceuta
1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir)
1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah)
1471–1662 Tangier
1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida)
1487- middle 16th century Ouadane
1488–1541 Safim (Safi)

16th century
1505–1769 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir)
1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira)
1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima)
1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida)
1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour)
1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)

Sub-Saharan Africa

15th century
1455–1633 Arguin
1470–1975 São Tomé1
1474–1778 Annobón
1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko)
1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina)
1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast
1496–1550 Madagascar (part)
1498–1540 Mascarene Islands

16th century
1500–1630 Malindi
1500–1975 Príncipe1
1501–1975 Portuguese E. Africa (Mozambique)
1502–1659 St. Helena
1503–1698 Zanzibar
1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa)
1506–1511 Socotra
1557–1578 Accra
1575–1975 Portuguese W. Africa (Angola)
1588–1974 Cacheu2
1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa)

17th century
1642–1975 Cape Verde
1645–1888 Ziguinchor
1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá
1687–1974 Bissau2

18th century
1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa)
1753–1975 São Tomé and Príncipe

19th century
1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea
1885–1975 Portuguese Congo (Cabinda)

1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipefrom 1753. 2 Part of Portuguese Guineafrom 1879.

Southwest Asia

16th century
1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas)
1507-1643 Sohar
1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus)
1515-1648 Quriyat
1515-? Qalhat
1515–1650 Muscat
1515?-? Barka
1515-1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah)
1521–1602 Bahrain (Al Muharraq and Manama)
1521-1529? Qatif
1521?-1551? Tarut Island
1550-1551 Qatif
1588-1648 Matrah

17th century
1620-? Khor Fakkan
1621?-? As Sib
1621-1622 Qeshm
1623-? Khasab
1623-? Libedia
1624-? Kalba
1624-? Madha
1624-1648 Diba al-Hisn
1624?-? Bandar-e Kong

Indian subcontinent

15th century
1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep)

16th century
Portuguese India
   1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)
   1502–1661 Quilon (Coulão/Kollam)
   1502–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)
   1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapattinam)
   1510–1962 Goa
   1512–1525 Calicut (Kozhikode)
   1518–1619 Paliacate (Pulicat)
   1521–1740 Chaul
   1523–1662 São Tomé de Meliapore
   1528–1666 Chittagong
   1534–1601 Salsette Island
   1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)
   1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)
   1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)
   1540–1612 Surat
   1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)
   1559–1962 Daman and Diu
   1568–1659 Mangalore
   1579–1632 Hughli
   1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam)
1518–1521 Maldives
1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
1558–1573 Maldives

17th century
Portuguese India
1687–1749 São Tomé de Meliapore

18th century
Portuguese India
1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli

East Asia and Oceania

16th century
1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca
1512–1621 Banda Islands
1512–1621 Moluccas (Maluku Islands)
   1522–1575 Ternate
   1576–1605 Ambon
   1578–1650 Tidore
1512–1665 Makassar
1553–1999 Macau
1533-1545 Ning-po
1571–1639 Decima (Dejima, Nagasaki)

17th century
1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1

19th century
Macau
   1864–1999 Coloane
   1851–1999 Taipa
   1890–1999 Ilha Verde

20th century
Macau
   1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin)

1 1975 is the date of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, the independence of East Timor was recognized by Portugal and the rest of the world.

North America and the North Atlantic Ocean

15th century
1420 Madeira
1432 Azores

16th century
1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland)
1500-1579? Labrador
1516–1579? Nova Scotia

Central and South America

16th century
1500–1822 Brazil
1536–1620 Barbados

17th century
1680–1777 Nova Colônia do Sacramento

19th century
1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay)