Editing History of Angola (section)

== Kingdom of Kongo ==
The first large political entity in the area, known to history as the [[Kingdom of Kongo]], appeared in the thirteenth century and stretched from [[Gabon]] in the north to the [[river Kwanza]] in the south, and from the Atlantic in the west to the [[river Cuango]] in the east.

The wealth of the Kongo came mainly from agriculture. Power was in the hands of the Mani, aristocrats who occupied key positions in the kingdom and who answered only to the all-powerful King of the Kongo. [[Mbanza (territory)|Mbanza]] was the name given to a territorial unit administered and ruled by a Mani; [[Mbanza Congo]], the capital, had a population of over fifty thousand in the sixteenth century.

[[File:Padrão de Santo Agostinho MRAC HO.1932.752.1 n1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|160px|A copy of the ''[[padrão]]'' erected by [[Diogo Cão]]'s ships at [[Cabo de Santa Maria (Angola)|Cabo de Santa Maria]] in 1482 ]]
The Kingdom of Kongo was divided into six provinces and included some dependent kingdoms, such as [[Ndongo]] to the south. Trade was the main activity, based on highly productive agriculture and increasing exploitation of mineral wealth. In 1482, [[Portuguese caravel]]s commanded by [[Diogo Cão]] arrived in the Congo{{sfnp|Chisholm|1911}} and he explored the extreme north-western coast of what today is Angola in 1484.{{sfnp|Baynes|1878}} Other expeditions followed, and close relations were soon established between the two states. The Portuguese brought firearms and many other technological advances, as well as a new religion ([[Christianity]]); in return, the King of the Congo offered plenty of slaves, ivory, and minerals.

The King of the Kongo soon converted to Christianity and adopted a similar political structure to the Europeans. He became a well-known figure in Europe, to the point of receiving missives from the [[Pope]].