Benfica, Luanda

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Benfica, Luanda
commune
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Benfica, Luanda
Location in Angola
Coordinates: 8°55′53″S13°09′36″E / 8.9315°S 13.1599°E / -8.9315; 13.1599
CountryFlag of Angola.svg Angola
Province Luanda
Municipality Belas
Area
 • Total
139 sq mi (361 km2)
Population
 (2014) [1]
 • Total
274,742
 • Density2,000/sq mi (760/km2)
Time zone UTC+1 (WAT)

Benfica, Luanda is a commune of Angola located in Belas Municipality, the province of Luanda. [2] [3] It was originally set up by Portuguese Angola as an area for integration of peoples from throughout the Portuguese Empire. [4]

Contents

History

Whilst Angola was under Portuguese control, Benfica was established as a planned colono (colony) with the intent that it would be a multicultural area. To assist this, settlers from the Azores and 93 settlers from Cape Verde were introduced to Benfica as farmers, though 14 had to return to Cape Verde due to ill-health. The Governor of Cape Verde objected to this as he felt it undermined his position. Despite this aim, inter-communal relations between the new Azorean and Cape Verdean settlers and native Africans were strained and the Governor of the Province expressed concern that Angolan nationalists would use it as an attempt to radicalise the native Africans against Portuguese rule. [4] The Junta Provincial de Povoamento (JPP) (English: Provincial Settlement Board) also noted the Cape Verdeans were not inclined or willing to work on farms as they had been fishermen in Cape Verde and many turned to drink. [4]

The area of Benfica is noted to have a number of deposits of mica underground. [5] Benfica is the home of S.L. Benfica and their home ground of Estádio dos Coqueiros has hosted the Angola national football team. [6] In 2022, Benfica was the location of a violent protest by taxi drivers against the MPLA government. This required the Rapid Intervention Police to be deployed to quell the protest. [7] The MPLA offices in Benfica were vandalised and robbed again in 2023. [8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Citypopulation.de Population of provinces and communes in Angola
  2. ↑ "Luanda". Official Portal of the 2014 INE Angola Census. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Benfica, Luanda". google maps. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Bender, Gerald (1980). Angola Under the Portuguese: The Myth and Reality. University of California Press. pp. 119–120. ISBN   9780520042742.
  5. ↑ Robinson, E. (1964). Economic Development for Africa South of the Sahara. Springer. p. 216. ISBN   9781349152179.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  6. ↑ "Angola welcome back Mantorras". BBC News. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Distúrbios em bairros de Luanda com sede de comité do MPLA alvo de incêndio". Voice of America Portugual (in Portuguese). 10 January 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Iniciou julgamento de acusados de vandalização do Comité do MPLA no Benfica". Angola24Horas (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 July 2025.
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