Fires Across Congo and Angola

Fires Across Congo and Angola. Hundreds of fires were smoking across central Africa on May 5, 2004, and were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite during its early afternoon overpass of the region. The fires (marked in red) are scattered across the Democratic Republic of Congo (top) southeast of the Kasai River (upper left) and the northern part of Angola (bottom left).
The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. Fires Across Congo and Angola

Angola has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age. Its formation as a nation state originates from Portuguese colonisation, which initially began with coastal settlements and trading posts founded in the 16th century. In the 19th century, European settlers gradually began to establish themselves in the interior. The Portuguese colony that became Angola did not have its present borders until the early 20th century, owing to resistance by native groups such as the Cuamato, the Kwanyama and the Mbunda.

Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC