Angola

The official language of Angola is Portuguese. It is spoken by approximately 39% of the population -- with a higher number of speakers in the capital. There are also several African languages spoken throughout the nation, with different dialects depending on the local ethnicity. Some of these languages are part of the country’s official languages too.

The ethnic language most widely spoken is umbundu (also the mother tongue of a third of the population) present in the southern central region, followed by kimbundu, which is spoken by a quarter of the population mainly in the north of the country. It is of great relevance because it influenced some words in the Portuguese language and vice-versa. Both languages are Bantu like many others in the region.

To the far north you can find Kikongo, which was the language of the former Kingdom of Kongo, and nowadays has a significant presence in Luanda. The Chokwe language covers a large area in the east, whilst in the south other languages of the Khoisan family are spoken by the foraging San or Bushmen.