Benguela

Port in Angola, south of Luanda; population (2007 est) 160,100. It was founded in 1617 by the Portuguese, and was a major base for Portuguese colonisation in Africa. There is a railway running inland to the copper mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Local industries include sugar milling, fish processing, soap, tools, and pottery. The port exports mainly agricultural goods, including coffee, tobacco, sugar, and sisal, and some manganese from mines to the south of the city is also exported.

The Benguela railway extends to Shaba, Democratic Republic of Congo. The connection was completed in 1951 and in 1956 the railway was linked to the Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) railway system. The port of Benguela is rivalled by Lobito, 30 km/19 mi away, which handles most of Angola's foreign trade.