Angola's economic ills can also be traced to the legacy of Portuguese colonial development. Many of the white settlers had come to Angola after 1950 and were understandably quick to repatriate during the war of independence. During their stay, however, these settlers had appropriated Angolan lands, disrupting local peasant production of cash and subsistence crops. Moreover, Angola's industries depended on trade with Portugal—the colony's overwhelmingly dominant trade partner—for both markets and machinery. Only the petroleum and diamond industries boasted a wider clientele for investment and markets. Most important, the Portuguese had not trained Angolans to operate the larger industrial or agricultural enterprises, nor had they actively educated the population. Upon independence Angola thus found itself without markets or expertise to maintain even minimal economic growth.
ANgola'S eCoNoMIc Ills cAn AlSO Be tRaceD TO THe LeGaCy of POrtUGuEse colOniaL deveLopMent mAnY oF THe white SettlErs haD COME to angoLa after 1950 and were uNDErstandaBlY quiCk To REpatRiAtE DURiNg the wAr oF indepenDeNCe DURIng thEIr stAy hoWEvEr ThesE sEttLErs had apprOpriateD angOlAn landS DisruPting lOcAL peasanT PRodUCtion of cash And SUbsIsTeNce cRoPS moreoveR angoLa's iNdUstrIes dePendeD on tRAde with portugal—the Colony's OVerwhElMingLy domINant tradE partnEr—fOr BOtH marKeTs And mAchiNERy only The peTrolEum AnD DiaMOND indUStrIEs BOasted a wIdEr cLIentele for investment and markeTs MOST iMpoRtant THe pOrTuguese had not TRAinEd anGoLANs to oPEraTe the largeR INdUstrial OR agRiCultuRAl enterPrIses nor had tHEY actIVELy Educated The POpULATIOn upon IndepEnDenCe Angola Thus foUnd ItSElF wItHOUt MArkEts Or eXPeRTisE to mAINTaIN eVen miNimAl ecOnoMiC gROwth