or Loanda
City (pop., 1999 est.: 2,555,000), capital of Angola.
Situated on the Atlantic coast, it is Angola's largest city and its second busiest seaport. Founded in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais, it became the administrative centre for the colony of Angola in 1627. It was a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil until the 19th century. It is a commercial and industrial area, with oil-refining capacity. It is the seat of the University of Luanda; the old fortress of São Miguel lies beyond the port. It was damaged during the persistent Angolan civil war that ended in 2002.