Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

Africa Capital City Luanda is the Most Expensive City to Live

Most expensive city on the planet is Africa's Capital City Luanda.

Most expensive city on the planet is Africa's Capital City Luanda.

Angolan capital Luanda has been ranked the world's most expensive city to live.


Why is Luanda so expensive? Note - An expatriate, often shortened to expat is an individual living in a country other than their country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons.

Yes, it is true that most of the Angolan capital's population lives in poverty on the outskirts of the city, in the center, Angola's capital city Luanda is the priciest city for people who are not from Angola or expatriates. In Luanda, you must have very deep pockets for housing, transport, clothes, food and entertainment and everything else in-between. Luanda was judged the costliest city due to the expense of goods and security.

Africa's capital city of Luanda
Africa's capital city of Luanda 

The cost of renting an unfurnished three-bedroom house of in a suitable neighborhood is $13,000 US dollars a month in 2017. Dinner at Luanda's trendiest restaurant will easily cost $120 per person, including appetizers and drinks. The claim is Luanda is the priciest city for expats is made in the 23rd annual cost-of-living survey by the human resources consulting firm, Mercer.

The survey is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Zurich and Singapore comprise the rest of the top five priciest cities.

Angola is Africa's second largest oil producer and Luanda is the capital and largest city in Angola, and the country's most populous and important city, primary port and major industrial center. Between 1975 and 2002, Angola suffered one of Africa’s longest and deadliest civil wars. Angola’s violent 27-year civil war, ended only in 2002, which crippled its infrastructure and decimated its ability to support itself. Consequently, almost everything in Luanda has to be imported; heavy import duties, along with high taxes and monopolized supply chains driving up the price of goods and services to astronomical levels.

Another reason for the high cost of housing in Luanda is there are an estimated 10 million landmines buried over half of the country. According to Halo trust, there are more than 620 minefields mapped and recorded in the eight provinces throughout Angola; Benguela, Bié, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Kuando Kubango, Kuanza Sul and Namibe.

Angola quick facts from Google Maps
Province: Luanda Province
Area: 43.63 mi²
Founded: 1575
Angola is a Southern African nation whose varied terrain encompasses tropical Atlantic beaches, a labyrinthine system of rivers and Sub-Saharan desert that extends across the border into Namibia. The country's colonial history is reflected in its Portuguese-influenced cuisine and its landmarks including Fortaleza de São Miguel, a fortress built by the Portuguese in 1576 to defend the capital, Luanda.

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Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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