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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Anatomy of a Demographic Explosion: Luanda, 1844-1850
Author:Curto, José C.ISNI
Year:1999
Periodical:International Journal of African Historical Studies
Volume:32
Issue:2-3
Pages:381-405
Language:English
Geographic terms:Angola
Portugal
Subjects:population growth
urban areas
colonialism
capitals
History and Exploration
Miscellaneous (i.e. Demography, Refugees, Sports)
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/220347
Abstract:Over the course of a short time span, 1844-1850, that fell between two medium-term periods of demographic stability, the population of Angola's colonial capital, Luanda, underwent a veritable explosion, doubling from 5,600 to 12,500. Since the white population was in absolute decline, this demographic burst was exclusively made up of blacks and mulattos. The crucial catalyst was not natural increase but an extremely high rate of net migration. The transition from slave exports to legitimate commerce evident by 1844 not only allowed the export trade sector to expand significantly, but the newly found profits derived from exports permeated throughout other sectors of the urban economy, which created an acute demand for new labour. Traditionally a slavocratic society, Luanda met part of this demand by incorporating into its population large numbers of slaves who prior to 1844 would have been exported across the Atlantic. Yet an even greater part of the demand for labour was secured by attracting free black and mulatto wage earners from the interior. Although the institution of slavery was little affected by these developments, the socioeconomic landscape of Luanda was radically changed. The port town began to be remodelled into a wealthier, urban centre, with a darker, female-dominated population. Notes, ref.
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