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In this accessible introduction, Inge Tvedten traces Angolas turbulent past, with a particular focus on the devastating impacts that five centuries of Portuguese colonial rule and over two decades of civil war have had on the Angolan people. He analyzes how Angolas resources were drained through slavery and exploitation, discusses the role Angola played as a staging ground in the Cold War, and investigates how attempts to democratize collapsed when the rebel movement UNITA took the country to war after electoral defeat. Tvedten concludes by looking at the prospects for this resource-rich country to build lasting peace and prosperity. After more than twenty years of devastating civil war, Angola is slowly moving toward peace and reconciliation. In this accessible introduction to one of the most resource-rich countries in Africa, Inge Tvedten traces Angolas turbulent past, with a particular focus on the impacts that political and economic upheaval have had on the Angolan people. First, Tvedten reviews five centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, which drained Angolas resources through slavery and exploitation. He then turns to the postindependence period, in which the country became a Cold War staging ground and its attempts to democratize collapsed when the rebel movement UNITA, supported by the United States, took the country back to war after electoral defeat. Tvedten shows how the colonial legacy and decades of war turned Angola into one of the ten poorest in the world, despite considerable oil resources, huge hydroelectric potential, vast and fertile agricultural lands, and some of Africas most productive fishing waters. Finally, Tvedten argues that peace and prosperity for Angola are possible but constructive international support will be crucial.