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Luanda

Luanda,1 Angola's capital, is the only city with a million residents. The city proper has the same as the province and has 2.584 million people in 2009.2 The metropolitan area 5.379 million.3 The city is located on the Cuanza4 River's estuary. Its most unique monument is 'the Rocket', a spire honoring former President Neto. The city was an important Portuguese port by 1600, but was deserted by 1690, only again becoming a significant city in the 20th century, initially due to an influx of war-time refugees. The tallest building as of the summer of 2018 is the Edificio Kilamba (352 feet, 2017).5 The city is one of Angola's tourist attractions.6 The Quatro de Fevereiro Airport is the nation's busiest.7

YearPopulation
1600 CE30,0008
2012 CE5,379,0003

Historical maps

map of Luanda, Bengo, Cuanza-North, Cuanza-South and Malanje Provinces of Angola, and of Ascension Island, 1600 CE

map of Zaire, Uige, Luanda, Bengo, Cuanza-North, Cuanza-South and Malanje Provinces of Angola, and of Ascension Island, 2000 CE

External references

Skyline of Luanda city, Luanda Province, Angola

Footnotes

1. Formerly spelled Loanda.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Angola, accessed June 8, 2018.
3. 2012 metropolitan figure from world-gazetteer.com, accessed February 6, 2013.
4. Also spelled Kwanza.
5. Emporis.com, accessed July 18, 2018.
6. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-to-visit-in-angola/, accessed June 7, 2018.
7. 2009 table in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Africa, accessed June 7, 2018.
8. Pg. 299 of Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, 2nd ed. (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987). In 1600 it was the largest city in what is now Angola.