The Portuguese began to enter Angola in the 16th century, and over the

The Portuguese began to enter Angola in the 16th century, and over the next three hundred years slowly pushed into the interior of the sizable nation of Southern Africa, finally achieving complete occupation by the 1920’s. However, following Angolan independence in 1975, and despite a bloody civil war that lasted until 2002, the Angolan economy has grown at a double-digit pace since the 1990’s, due largely to expansive mineral and petroleum reserves. Conversely, Portugal is now broke and in debt, its economy shrinking by full percentage points every year. In a grand stroke of irony, Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho in 2011 suggested to Angola’s President Jose Eduardo dos Santos that “We should take advantage of this moment … to strengthen our bilateral relations.” President dos Santos replied, “We are aware of Portugal’s difficulties and we are open and available to help.” This “help” will likely come in the form of Angola’s investment in Portuguese industries that the International Monetary Fund has ordered be privatized as a condition of a 78 billion dollar bailout. Already, the country that once mined Angola for slaves and raw material is now virtually helpless as Angola purchases Lisbon’s prime real estate, using much of it to build luxury resorts where Angolan officials go for holidays.

Despite the stunning reversal of fortune, Angola is not without its difficulties. Corruption is rampant, and Angola has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world—in the capital city of Luanda, hamburgers go for 50 dollars and designer jeans cost twice what they do in London or New York, while two thirds of the population lives on less than 2 dollars a day.

1. Which of the following is NOT stated as a component of Portugal and Angola’s historical relationship?

(A) Portuguese traders sold Angolan slaves.
(B) Raw material was taken from Angola by the Portuguese.
(C) The two nations were at war.
(D) The Portuguese increasingly dominated Angola over a period of several hundred years.
(E) Angola achieved independence from Portugal in the 20th century.


2. The “grand stroke of irony” (Highlighted) is best described as:

(A) two countries dedicated to strengthening bilateral relations share economic problems.
(B) a former colonial possession is now being called upon to assist its former possessor
(C) slavery has ended, and yet people still live in poverty
(D) the cost of living in Luanda is very high, and yet most people are poor
(E) the Portuguese economy was once thriving and is now dwindling