Angola is a large African country with a land area of 1.2 million square kilometers (297 million acres). The population is said to be over 32.7 million. The country is rich in oil and diamonds, which are its major economic drivers. More than half of the country’s economy is sourced from these two resources. When the Angolan Civil War, which started in 1975, ended in 2002, the Angolan economy started to rise.
While the economy in Angola seems robust, it is unfortunate that only a few people enjoy it. Angolan poverty incidence is high. Reports also have it that the population in Angola is extremely young. Generally, the world’s population is aging because of the many vaccines and treatments that have already been discovered. But on average, Angolans only live up to 55 years old. Angola also has the third youngest population in the world. According to Business Insider, 44.62% of its population is under 15 years old. Around 70% of its population is under 24 years old.
Angola’s capital city is Luanda and it is known as the Paris of Africa, even if the country was a Portuguese colony from 1484 to 1975. The city was likened to Paris because of its economic boom, which translated to a construction boom in this premier city. It also translates to a very expensive city.
But tourists don’t have to spend much to experience Angola’s beauty. There are 12 national parks in the nation that are worth visiting. Here are five of the unexplored national parks in Angola:
1. Bicuari National Park
The Angolan Civil War (1975 to 2002) damaged a lot of the national parks in the country. Bicuari is no exception as the area was used as a practice artillery range during the war. This prompted the animals to leave. Those that didn’t leave were poached. Good news came in 2013 when it was reported that some of the original park animals are back. Among the animals that can now be seen in the park are antelopes, elands, elephants, gnus, and zebras. A large population of black buffalo used to be in the park, too, but this large mammal has not been recorded to be back.
The park, which was originally a hunting reserve, is situated on the Huila Plateau. It was elevated as a national park in 1964. It is characterized by sandy hills and thick shrubs. The vegetation is described as Angolan miombo woodlands and Angolan mopane woodlands. The Cunene River, a perennial river, runs through the park.
2. Cangandala National Park
This is the smallest national park in Angola situated along the Cujie River. It was established in 1970 to protect the giant sable antelope, which is the national symbol of Angola. This species of antelope was believed to have become extinct following the lengthy Angola Civil War. In the first place, this large species of antelope is already rare and is native to Angola. In 2004, the Catholic University of Angola set up trap cameras within the park. A herd of giant sable antelope was photographed, which means that the species survived. The animal is no longer extinct but is still considered critically endangered.
Cangandala is characterized by undulating sand-lime hills. Vegetation is described as miombo Bushfield and savannah.
3. Luenge-Luiana National Park
This is a combination of two national parks: Luenge National Park and Luiana National Park. As a joint protected area, this park is important in the revitalization of the lion population. According to the last survey, only around 30 lions remained in this expanded area. Lions used to be abundant in all of Africa but hunting and poaching have significantly decreased the population in Angola. The Angolan government has agreed with wildlife organization Panthera, to revitalize the lion population in this combined national park with the hope that it will revitalize the population in the entire country.
4. Mupa National Park
This park. located in the Cunene Province, was established to protect the Angolan giraffe, which is a species of the giraffe generally found in some parts of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This species has been identified as vulnerable and there are around 13,000 of them in the wild. However, while it carries the name Angola, this type of giraffe is not abundant in the country, except for some individuals are found in Mupa, hence, the establishment of the park in 1964. However, the species became extinct in the country particularly at the start of the civil war.
The park is home to several rivers, more significantly, the Colui River and the famous Cunene River. There are several more running within the territory as the park comprises low hills and river valleys. These types of topography make the park popular among avifauna. Mupa hosts a variety of waterbirds in the park, especially those that are overwintering. Among the birds commonly sighted in the park are a chestnut-backed sparrow, miombo tit parus, pale billed hornbill, short-tailed glossy starling, wattle crane, and wren warbler.
5. Quiҫama National Park
A lot of national parks have suffered because of the Angolan Civil War. Good thing this national park in northwestern Angola remained resilient and functional, although, a lot of animals suffered from the war. The park stands on protected resources with a land area of 12,000 square kilometers (three million acres). Quiҫama (Kissama in English) used to be a game reserve in 1938 until its elevation to a national park in 1957.
The park was meant to protect the abundant population of elephants and giant sable antelopes. These two animals didn’t survive the poaching that happened during the decades-long civil war. But aside from the loss of animals, the park’s vegetation and the landscape were kept in their original condition, which means the park can still provide a good habitat for animals. So in 2001, a private organization called the Kissama Foundation, organized Operation Noah’s Ark where elephants from neighboring Botswana and South Africa were transported to Quiҫama, in a bid to revitalize its population. The giant sable antelope was believed to be extinct by then. While it has since been proven that this particular antelope species still survives, it is very hard to spot the herd. The park is also considered a Lion Conservation Unit.