Given the need to obtain reliable knowledge to contribute to further reflection on the anthropization of coastal zones, this article focuses on the colonial settlement of the Ilha de Luanda (Luanda Island), a sandspit off the coast of Luanda, the capital of Angola. Despite the strategic importance of the Ilha for the development of the city of Luanda, there are few studies on the relationship between the two elements. From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, only the Axiluanda people lived on the island. However, following global trends, from the twentieth century onwards, the island, considered as a leisure space, was integrated into the urbanization process of the city, which led to profound changes in its landscape. Based on a wide range of historical sources, from newspapers to technical reports, this paper traces the history of the Ilha from the arrival of the Portuguese to the independence of Angola. Particular attention is paid to the so-called “late colonial period” (1945–1975), when the island was urbanized and coastal erosion began to destroy the existing infrastructure. Since then, coastal protection has become a major concern, a situation that continues to this day.
Ramos et al. (Sun,) studied this question.