Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-12-02
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. CD

prepared By the National Geographic
Society. Washington. d. CO
"HE latest rumor concerning
the solution OF Italys great
problem, the finding Of an out
let for her too crowded and rap
idly increasing population. alleges
that negotiations have been under
way for the purchase by Italy Of An
COLA, Portugars vast territory on the
Atlantic coast of Africa.
Angola covers large part of south
western Africa. 1t stretches along
the Atlantic ocean for thousand
miles and extends 800 miles or more
inland. A comparable slice of terri
tory in southeastern United States
would have coast line extending
from southern Georgia to New York
city and, excepting Florida, would In
clude an area greater than all the
states south of New York and the
Great Lakes, and east of the Missis-
sippi river.
This vast region, although it was
discovered by Portuguese sailors in
1442 and although 1t has had Portu-
guese settlements since 1875, has not
been developed to any great extent.
1t was really a victim of the discov-
cry of Brazil and the opening of the
water route to India, for into those
more promising regions was poured
all the colonIzing energy Of Portugal
at a time when that country was the
worlds leader in colonization. The
stream of energy and men passed
Angola by. and 1t has been a sort of
Portuguese backwater ever since.
Its Coast Is Dreary.
But there are also potent ,geograph-
ic and economic reasons for Angola's
lack of development. With the ex-
ception Of former German southwest
Africa, which adjoins 1t to the south,
Angola has the dreariest and most
forbidding coast of any section Of At
RIGA. Specifically it may be COM
pared with the desert coast of north
ern Chile and Peru; and the COM
parison is heightened by the exist
ence Of cool current that sweeps
up the coast from the Antarctic as
the Humboldt current flows north
ward along the west coast Of South
America.
Sand dunes cover much of the land
Immediately along the coast, with
here and there bare rocky promon-
tories jutting out of the shifting
grains Where the sands are not in
dunes a scrub grows. but it is so
sparse that from the sea the coast
appears utterly barren. Where wa
ter courses enter the sea there is
often a luxuriant vegetation in their
valleys. 1t is In such long. narrow
GASES that are grown the vegetables
and fruits for the few coastal set
Elements.
Behind this worst foot which An
COLA thrusts forward is a region Of
surprisingly good potentialities. The
coastal desert strip extends inland
from IL to 100 miles and then the
country rises by series of huge ter
races to broad plateau which ex-
tends eastward into the heart of AZ
RIGA. On each higher terrace condi-
fions are better than on that below
The transition is from aridlty and
lack of vegetation through semi
aridity to a reasonably well-watered
park land of grass and scattered
trees. Much of this plateau is an ex4
cellent region for Europeans. healthy,
cool. reasonably productive and much
Of it free from the tsetse fly
The grains flourish in the Angola
plateau country, but they are grown
by only a few natives and fewer Eu-
ropeans. There are enthusiasts for
it is only matter Of time and the
influx Of more energetic farmers, I'M
til this vast upland region shall be-
come another Argentina. 1t is point
ed out, too. that the country is in
much easier and less expensive reach
OF European consuming centers than
New Zealand, Australia, or South
America, and that It would have u
marked advantage also In the produc-
tion Of cattle and the shipment OF
meat.
Portugal Has Improved It.
Since the World war Portugal
seems to have taken an increasing
interest in Angola. There were long
ugly rumors Of continuance of slav-
cry in the colony In spite of interna-
tional agreements for It's suppression.
The sparseness of the population and
the laziness OF the natives made 1t