Angola

Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola, located on the Atlantic coast. Founded by the Portuguese in 1576, it’s the country’s political and economic hub, anchored by a busy port and the oil industry. After Angola’s independence in 1975, Luanda remained the administrative center and has since grown rapidly. To avoid the distractors: Benguela is a historic coastal city to the south; Huambo (once called Nova Lisboa) sits on the central plateau; Malanje is inland, known for Kalandula Falls. Memory tip: think “Luanda on the Atlantic”—the capital with the coastline and the country’s largest population.