Luanda

Luanda (formerly Loanda), city in north-west Angola, capital of the country and of Luanda District, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is Angola's largest city, its chief port and industrial centre. Commercial and industrial sections are located around the modern deep-water port, with government and residential districts inland, on higher ground. The city's main exports include petroleum, coffee, diamonds, iron ore, and fish products. Among its manufactured goods are refined petroleum, motor vehicles, textiles, and processed food. Luanda's airport is the busiest in Angola, and a railway extends inland to the iron-ore mines at Dalatando and the coffee-producing area around Malanje. The University of Angola (1963), the Angola Institute of Education and Social Service (1962), and the Museum of Angola (1938) are in Luanda. The city is the site of a major landmark—the large 17th-century fortress of São Miguel. Founded in 1575 by the Portuguese, Luanda was from the 17th to the mid-19th century a leading port for shipping African slaves to Brazil. It became the capital of independent Angola in 1975. Population 2,623,000 (2003 estimate).