Angola

Cultures of the World

by Sean Sheehan

Diversity is the spice of life, and the highly regarded Cultures of the World series celebrates just that in fully updated, and expanded editions. As has always been true of these outstanding titles, an abundance of vibrant photographs -- including those new to this edition -- stimulate the imaginations of young readers as they travel the globe. A new chapter on the environment focuses on politics and economics as well as on endangered species and the effects of industrialization. Additional authentic recipes add general interest while new maps offer further, easy-to-find facts in "About the Geography, " "About the Culture" and "About the Economy" sections.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Harrison Kessel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a summary of the country of Angola and it's history, culture, and geography. This book starts off with a review of its geography. The country has a low lying coast and the back of the country is above sea level. The border between these to regions can be steep cliffs or sloping hills. Angola also has a small rainforest too. There were three major kingdoms in Angola before the Portuguese invaded and eventually made Angola a colony. A revolution occurred and Angola broke free after WWII and separated into two factions, MLA and UNITA. These became capitalist and communist durning the Cold War and a bloody civil war racked the country. MLA won a UN sponsored election and eventually came to rule Angola. The country has huge economic potential including huge amounts of oil and diamonds but doesn't have the skilled workers the the Portuguese had, resulting in a poor country just emerging form civil war. But it has a lively culture, including traditional dances and holidays. The country is mostly dominated by agriculture and doesn't have a large middle class.

The book was a great insight into the country of Angola and was very informative about its history which I especially like. I have a Friend who works in Angola and I wanted to see what it was like. Overall a good book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in the economic potential of Africa or interested in the culture involved with the country.