Luanda
/luˈɐ̃ndɐ/noun
Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola on the Atlantic coast.
Did you know?Founded by the Portuguese in 1575 as São Paulo da Assunção de Luanda, the city became a major center of the Atlantic slave trade.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Kimbundu
luanda
“A place-name associated with the region; proposed meanings include “flat land,” but the etymology is uncertain.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Luanda
“Portuguese rendering of the existing African place-name.”
1575
Portuguese
São Paulo da Assunção de Luanda
“The formal colonial name given to the Portuguese settlement.”
17th–19th Centuries
Portuguese
Luanda
“A major Portuguese port and administrative center in west-central Africa.”
1975–Present
Portuguese/English
Luanda
“The capital city of independent Angola.”