ZaireZaire (zɑːˈɪər, UKzaɪˈɪər), officially the Republic of Zaire (République du Zaïre, ʁepyblik dy zaiʁ), was a Congolese state from 1965 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa (after Sudan and Algeria), and the 11th-largest country (from 1965–1997) in the world. With a population of over 23 million inhabitants, Zaire was the most populous officially Francophone country in Africa, as well as one of the most populous in Africa.
OvimbunduThe Ovimbundu, also known as the Southern Mbundu, are a Bantu ethnic group who live on the Bié Plateau of central Angola and in the coastal strip west of these highlands. As the largest ethnic group in Angola, they make up 38 percent of the country's population. Overwhelmingly the Ovimbundu follow Christianity, mainly the Igreja Evangélica Congregacional de Angola (IECA), founded by American missionaries, and the Catholic Church. However, some still retain beliefs and practices from African traditional religions.
KinshasaKinshasa (kɪnˈʃɑːsə; kinʃasa; Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest growing megacities. The city of Kinshasa is also one of the DRC's 26 provinces. Because the administrative boundaries of the city-province cover a vast area, over 90 per cent of the city-province's land is rural in nature, and the urban area occupies a small but expanding section on the western side.
BrazzavilleBrazzaville (bʁazavil, Ntamo, Ntambo, Kintamo, Kintambo, Tandala, Mavula; Teke: M'fa, Mfaa, Mfa, Mfoa) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo (Congo Republic). From an administrative perspective, it is a department and a commune. Constituting the financial and administrative centre of the country, it is located on the north side of the Congo River, opposite Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The population of the capital is estimated to exceed 1.
LingalaLingala (Ngala) (Lingala: Lingála) is a tonal Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree in Angola, the Central African Republic and southern South Sudan. Lingala has 25–30 million native speakers and about 35 million second-language speakers, for an approximate total of 60-65 million speakers.
Herero peopleThe Herero (Ovaherero) are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting parts of Southern Africa. There were an estimated 250,000 Herero people in Namibia in 2013. They speak Otjiherero, a Bantu language. Though the Herero primarily reside in Namibia, there are also significant populations in Botswana and Angola. Unlike most Bantu, who are primarily subsistence farmers, the Herero are traditionally pastoralists. They make a living tending livestock.
Ovambo peopleThe Ovambo people (ovambo), also called Aawambo, Ambo, Aawambo (Ndonga, Nghandjera, Kwambi, Kwaluudhi, Kolonghadhi, Mbalantu), or Ovawambo (Kwanyama), are a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa, primarily modern Namibia. They are the single largest ethnic group in Namibia, accounting for about half of the population. Despite concerted efforts from Christian missionaries to wipe out what were believed to be ‘pagan practices’, they have retained many aspects of their cultural practices.
Angolan War of IndependenceThe Angolan War of Independence (Guerra de Independência de Angola; 1961–1974), in Angola called the Luta Armada de Libertação Nacional ("Armed Struggle of National Liberation"), began as an uprising against forced cultivation of cotton, and became a multi-faction struggle for control of Portugal's overseas province of Angola among three nationalist movements and a separatist movement.
European exploration of AfricaThe geography of North Africa has been reasonably well known among Europeans since classical antiquity in Greco-Roman geography. Northwest Africa (the Maghreb) was known as either Libya or Africa, while Egypt was considered part of Asia. European exploration of sub-Saharan Africa begins with the Age of Discovery in the 15th century, pioneered by the Kingdom of Portugal under Henry the Navigator.
Chokwe peopleNOTOC The Chokwe people, known by many other names (including Kioko, Bajokwe, Chibokwe, Kibokwe, Ciokwe, Cokwe or Badjok), are a Bantu ethnic group of Central and Southern Africa. They are found primarily in Angola, southwestern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa to Lualaba), and northwestern parts of Zambia. There are two distinct seasons that occur in the Chokwe region: a rainy season between October and April, and a dry season for the remainder of the year.
