Ovimbundu

The Ovimbundu formed several small kingdoms on the Bié Plateau of central Angola, including Bailundo. Their communities farmed and raised livestock, and their rulers developed caravan trade after the Portuguese established a foothold at Benguela in the 16th century. Caravans carried goods between Benguela and peoples farther east, including the Chokwe, exchanging commodities such as ivory and wax.