Cabinda customs
- The people of Cabinda are of Bakongo origin. Ibinda is the common language, and it has strong links to the Kikongo language, which was widely spoken throughout the region when it was part of the Kongo Kingdom.

There is a wealth of wonderful works of wooden, stone, and ivory sculpture to be found in Cabinda. A peculiar local custom is the sculpting of decorative figures on tombstones, which provides a fascinating tourist attraction. The tombs of the Kings of Cabinda have been intricately sculpted. Weaving is also a traditional craft and local artisans use raffia, a fiber from the ananaseiro leaf, in their creations.

Natural wealth
- The forest reserve of Kakongo houses the great forest of Maiombe, described by locals as the ‘vegetable sea’. The reserve covers some 290,000 hectares, including its almost impenetrable forests in their rich tones of luxuriant green.

The forest grows right down to the sea, with enormous trees bending into the water and waves lapping the greenery, as gorillas and chimpanzees whoop from the high branches. Rare tropical hardwoods are found in the reserve, such as African sandal and ebony. Surrounded on three sides by the Luali and Inhuca rivers, Kakongo is flanked to the north by the Congo and is home to a multitude of bird species.

Cultural history
- When the Portuguese arrived in 1482 on the Zaire coast in search of a new route to India, they came into contact with the Kongo Kingdom for the first time. Powerful and structured, this Kingdom extended from what today is eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, over Cabinda, southern Congo (Brazzaville) and a part of Gabon.

Organized into six provinces, the Kongo Kingdom encompassed a large number of ethnic groups who had adopted the Kongo culture. Thus, the Sundis, Bembes, Yombes, and Vilis, whose common language was Kikongo, formed this large collection of people still known today as "Bakongo". The ancient Kingdom of Kongo, with Mbanza Kongo as its capital, was probably founded at the end of the 14th century.

Angolan facts and figures
- Situated in the west of southern Africa, Angola has a landmass of 486,213 square miles, covering an area approximately twice the size of Texas. The country has 18 provinces and the capital city is Luanda, located in the northwestern province of the same name.

Angola borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and northeast, and Zambia and Namibia to the east and south. It has more than 1,000 miles of Atlantic coastline and boasts an average yearly temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

The country’s population as of 2001 was 13.7 million, composed of three major ethnic groups: the Ovimbundu (37%); the Kimbundo (25%); and the Bakongo (13%). Apart from a range of traditional beliefs and religions, the country is predominantly Catholic. The official language is Portuguese, although the country prides itself on having around 60 indigenous languages. The national currency is the New Kwanza (NKz).

Soaring investor potential
- As Angola begins a new era, new horizons are opening up and with them exciting new prospects for the potential investor.

The opportunities offered by Angola’s current environment have not gone unnoticed by the international community as development needs in construction, transport, public works, communications, and hotel and tourism infrastructures, combined with the new liberalized market, present investors with an array of prime choices.

The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has recently drafted a new plan for the development of the sector, which includes the construction of five new hotels in Luanda and a new conference center, as well as the promotion of new small and medium-sized tourism-related businesses in various provinces.

A love of life through dance
- The vivacity and creativity of sensual Angolan dance, which springs forth from the indomitable Angolan spirit, has not been stifled by the war.

Dance has always been at the center of Angolan culture where it is used to both celebrate life and express grief, transmit joy and release pain, which is why music plays such an important part in an Angolan’s life.

Semba rhythms developed in the coastal centers of Luanda and Benguela during the 17th century where the music and the accompanying dance were originally performed to celebrate special occasions such as harvests and marriages. The dance is very similar to the Brazilian samba, which is not surprising when one considers that most Brazilian slaves were of Angolan origin.