Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes I: Architecture, Cities, Infrastructures in Africa: Coast to Coast Researchers’ book

Abstract

The late settlement of the Portuguese colonies was directly linked to the outcome of World War II and the fact that Portugal retained the status of colonial power up until the Revolution of April 1974. In 1945, the map of the then “Portuguese Empire” was formed by colonies in Africa and Asia. The end of the war only served to accentuate the differences between these territories in the realm of implementing infrastructures, exploiting natural resources and the legislation governing the treatment of the different peoples who remained under Portuguese administration. At a time in which most African countries were gaining independence, Portugal was to fight a war on three fronts in three continental African colonies (Portuguese Guinea, Angola and Mozambique), which lasted until 1974. The armed conflict would also have a strong impact on late territorial infrastructuring processes. Over a period of 30 years, the different Public Works departments (both based in the Metropole and locally) were to leave their mark on these territories, responding to requests that were defined by the various political, economic and military agendas. The research presented here is essentially based on the collection of documentation and information in the colonial archives, having also benefited from in-situ missions to confirm the state of some of these infrastructures. Since it is still the result of surveys that in the area of architecture are partly in their initial stages, no further cross-references with other colonial pasts are made for the time being.