Ndongo

Ndongo was a historic kingdom of the Mbundu people located in central Angola. It rose as a regional power in the highland region north of the coastal areas, with the ruler titled ngola. The name Ngola is the etymological root of the modern country name Angola.

The state formed in the late medieval period and grew in influence through trade and military alliances. Contact with the Portuguese began in the late 15th century, bringing heightened interaction and involvement in regional trade networks and, at times, the slave trade. In the early 17th century, Nzinga Mbande, known as Queen Nzinga, led sustained resistance against Portuguese encroachment and their allies, ruling Ndongo and later establishing stronger influence in the neighboring Matamba region. Her diplomacy and military leadership helped shape the political landscape during a period of intense colonial pressure. The kingdom maintained a degree of autonomy for several decades under Nzinga and her successors, but faced continued decline as Portuguese control expanded.

By the late 17th and 18th centuries, Ndongo’s political power waned as the area became increasingly integrated into the Portuguese colonial framework of Angola. Despite the decline of its political sovereignty, the Ndongo legacy persisted in cultural memory, and the Ngola title as well as Nzinga’s resistance left a lasting imprint on Angolan history.

The Ndongo are associated with the Mbundu (Ambundu) ethno-linguistic group, who speak Kimbundu, a Bantu language of central Africa.