Benguela (;

Umbundu Umbundu, or South Mbundu (autonym ''úmbúndú''), one of many Bantu languages, is the most widely-spoken autochthonous language of Angola. Its speakers are known as ''Ovimbundu'' and are an ethnic group constituting a third of Angola's populati ...

: Luombaka) is a city in western

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, capital of

Benguela Province Benguela () is a province of Angola, situated in the west of the country. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, and borders the provinces of Cuanza Sul, Namibe, Huila, and Huambo. The province has an area of and its capital is Benguela. According ...

. Benguela is one of Angola's most populous cities with a population of 555,124 in the city and 561,775 in the municipality, at the 2014 census.

History

Portuguese rule

Benguela was founded in 1617 as ''São Felipe de Benguela'' by the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

under Manuel Cerveira Pereira, 8th

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

(1604–1607). It was long the centre of an important trade, especially in

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. Ships anchored about off the shore, in depths of and transferred loads to smaller boats which used five or six

jetties A jetty is a man-made structure that protrudes from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signif ...

in the town. However, the nearby deep-water sheltered harbour of

Lobito Lobito is a municipality in Angola. It is located in Benguela Province, on the Atlantic Coast north of the Catumbela Estuary. The Lobito municipality had a population of 393,079 in 2014. History The city was founded in 1843 and owes its existe ...

was a much larger port. Besides the churches of S. Felipe and S. António, the hospital, and the fortress, as of 1911 there were only a few stone-built houses. A short way beyond Benguela is

Baía Farta Baía Farta is a town and municipality in Benguela Province in Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, P ...

, where salt was manufactured and

sulphur Sulfur (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundance of the chemical ...

was extracted. Close to

Baia Farta Baia (; ; ) is a commune in Suceava County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, northeastern Romania with a population of 7,261 as of 2021. It is composed of two villages, namely Baia and Bogata. Located on the Moldova River, it was one ...

was the beach of

Baia Azul Baia (; ; ) is a commune in Suceava County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, northeastern Romania with a population of 7,261 as of 2021. It is composed of two villages, namely Baia and Bogata. Located on the Moldova (river), Moldova ...

. The city prospered and grew in the following decades. The

Benguela Railway The Benguela Railway () is a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, Cape gauge railway line that runs through Angola from west to east, being the largest and most important railway line in the country. It also connects to Tenke, Democratic Republic of the C ...

was built in the early 20th century by Portugal to connect the city and

to the interior, and it achieved great success when linked to the

Copperbelt The Copperbelt () is a natural region in Central Africa which sits on the border region between northern Zambia and the south eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is known for copper mining and is the second largest global reserve of copper, ...

of Katanga,

DR Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

. Starting in the early 20th century, Benguela attracted, developed, and retained quality businesses and professionals into its growing economy.

Sisal Sisal (, ; ''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The sisal fiber is ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

industries expanded and the financial, construction and services market boomed until 1974.

Post-independence

In 1975, after the April 1974

Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Portugal, the Portuguese

Overseas Province of Angola Overseas may refer to: *Diaspora, a scattered population whose origin lies in a separate locale *Expatriate, a person residing in a country other than their native country ** Overseas Chinese ** Overseas Citizenship of India ** Overseas Filipinos ...

became independent. Due to the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

(1975–2002), which lasted more than 20 years after independence from Portugal, the important

Benguela railway The Benguela Railway () is a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, Cape gauge railway line that runs through Angola from west to east, being the largest and most important railway line in the country. It also connects to Tenke, Democratic Republic of the C ...

line closed, with only the short distance of between Benguela and

remaining operational. In 1983 Benguela had a population of 155,000. During the civil war the city of Benguela increased its population due to refugees from the countryside.

21st century

In the mid-2000s, with a more peaceful environment, restoration of the railway between Benguela and

Huambo Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa (English language, English: ''New Lisbon''), is the third-most populous List of cities and towns in Angola, city in Angola, after the capital city Luanda and Lubango, with a population of 595,304 in the city and a pop ...

commenced. While the colonial part of the city consists of relatively good-quality houses, as of 2011 most of the refugees live in slum areas.

Transports

The city has an airport, the

Benguela Airport Benguela Airport () is an airport serving Benguela, the capital city of Benguela Province in Angola. The Benguela non-directional beacon (Ident: BG) is located on the field. Airline and destination See also * List of airports in Angola T ...

. The city is connected to the railway with the

Economy

Benguela was one of the centres of Portuguese trade to the African interior. The city remains an important commercial link between western and eastern Angola.

Coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

sisal Sisal (, ; ''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The sisal fiber is ...

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

, and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

are grown in the interior regions of Angola and widely traded in Benguela.

Manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...

from the interior is also traded in Benguela. Industries local to the city include fish processing and the milling of sugarcane. The city also produces pottery, soap, and tools. Foreign trade is handled through the deep-water port of

, which is located north of Benguela. Lobito, once the busiest port in Angola, was severely disrupted during the Angolan Civil War. The port has since revived and supports trade in the Benguela region.

Education

The ''Universidade Katyavala Bwila and Ruvandro Ferreira'' was founded in 2009.

Culture

Religion

Among the

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is so ...

, they are predominantly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

churches and temples : *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Benguela The Roman Catholic Diocese of Benguela () is a diocese located in the city of Benguela in the ecclesiastical province of Huambo in Angola. The current bishop of the diocese is António Francisco Jaca. History The diocese was established on 6 Ju ...

(

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

) *

Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola () is a Reformed Christian denomination in Angola. History On November 11, 1880, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (now the United Church of Christ in the USA) and the Cong ...

(

World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations (227 members and three associate or affiliate members) in 108 countries, together claiming ...

) *

Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola The Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola is a Reformed denomination in the country of Angola established by the missionaries of the Swiss Reformed Church. History The Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola was established in 1925 in Kikaya, U ...

(

) *

Baptist Convention of Angola The Baptist Convention of Angola () is a Baptist Christian denomination in Angola. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Luanda. History The organization has its origins in a Portuguese mission in 1927 and 1929 ...

(

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is an international communion of Baptists, with an estimated 51 million people from 266 member bodies in 134 countries and territories as of 2024. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA accounts f ...

) *

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; ; , IURD) is an international Evangelical Neo-charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon (UCKG), Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, B ...

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

. Britannica
Angola
britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019

Notable residents

Maria Araújo Kahn Maria Araújo Kahn (born August 20, 1964) is an Angolan-born American lawyer who is serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She previously served as an associate justice of the Conne ...

(born 1963/1964), associate judge on the

Connecticut Supreme Court The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit i ...

Leila Lopes Leila Lopes (born 26 February 1986) is an Angolan beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2011. She had previously won Miss Angola UK 2010 and Miss Angola 2010. Early life Lopes was born on 26 February 1986, in Benguela, Ango ...

(born 1986), Miss Angola 2010 and

Miss Universe 2011 Miss Universe 2011 was the 60th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Vibra São Paulo, Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on 12 September 2011. At the end of the event, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico crowned Leila Lopes (Miss Universe), Leila Lopes ...

Matias Damásio Matias Damásio (born 9 May 1984) is an Angolan musician, singer and songwriter in popular music, romantic music and in Kizomba. He also enjoys great popularity in Portugal through his albums ''Por amor'' that reached number 4 in Portuguese Albums ...

(born 1982), musician *

Luís Sá Silva Luís Jorge Sá Silva (born 23 August 1990 in Benguela) is an Angolan former racing driver. He competed under a Macanese competition licence, as the Angolan motorsport federation (FADM — Federação Angolana de Desportos Motorizados) Is ...

(born 1990), racing driver

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017 Provincial capitals in Angola Populated places in Benguela Province Municipalities of Angola Populated coastal places in Angola Populated places established in 1617 1617 establishments in Africa 1610s establishments in Angola 1617 establishments in the Portuguese Empire