Angola’s Independence Day is 11 November, commemorating independence from Portugal in 1975.
On 11 November 1975, Portugal formally transferred sovereignty, and Angola became independent after a prolonged anti-colonial struggle. Agostinho Neto, leader of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, proclaimed the People’s Republic of Angola in Luanda.
The transition was exceptionally turbulent. Several liberation movements claimed authority, and conflict among them became part of the Angolan Civil War, which continued for decades. Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1974 had accelerated the end of its colonial rule and opened negotiations over Angola’s future.
The holiday is a public national celebration rather than simply an anniversary of a single battlefield victory. Ceremonies, speeches, cultural performances, and public events recall the end of Portuguese colonial rule. Angola’s capital, Luanda, was the site of the 1975 proclamation.