The Ovimbundu and their Neighbors

Angola is divided into regions based on the different tribes or cultures. There are more than one hundred different ethnic groups and languages in Angola. The three largest groups of Angola are the Ovimbundu, Bakongo, and Mbundu. The Ovimbundu are located in west-central Angola and are located south of the Mbundu. Bordering the Ovimbundu on the east is the Nganguela and on the south there are the Herero, Ovambo, and Nyaneka-Humbe.

            The Mbundu border the Ovimbundu to the north and are the second largest ethnic group in Angola, the first being the Ovimbundu. The language the Mbundu speak is Kimbundu and make up about twenty-fiver percent of the population in Angola. The Mbundu were one of the MPLA’s (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) strongest supporters. This was because the president of the MPLA was the son of an Mbundu. Today these people can be found in Luanda, Bengo, Malanje, Cuanza Norte, and northern Cuanza Sul provinces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovimbundu

            To the east of the Ovimbundu are the Nganguela. This is a small ethnic group, but Nganguela is actually a term given to the people living to the east and southeast by the Ovimbundu. These people actually hate being called this term because it can have a slight derogatory meaning when applied by the western ethnic group. These people live off of the breeding small animals, agriculture, and the gathering of wild fruit, honey, and other food items. Some people actually believe them to be an extension of the Ovimbundu because they live so close but this group is actually very distinct when it comes to culture, language, and social identity.

The Herero, Ovambo, and Nyaneka-Humbe create the southern border for the Ovimbundu. All of these groups put together still make up only a very small portion of the overall population in Angola. The Herero are not like other Bantu groups in that they primarily make their living tending livestock instead of farming. The Ovambo and the Nyaneka-Humbe are also cattle herders but they farm as well.

Overall the Ovimbundu are very much the dominant ethnicity in the country of Angola. However, when it comes to how these people relate with other ethnic groups I was not able to find much information at all.