Angola Higher War College (ESG) Exam flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Crase

The contraction of the preposition 'a' with the feminine article 'a' or 'as', marked with a grave accent (à, às). It does not occur before masculine nouns or most verbs.

Pretérito perfeito

A Portuguese past tense expressing an action completed at a definite point in the past, as in 'ele estudou ontem'. It contrasts with the imperfect, which marks habitual or ongoing past action.

Próclise

Placement of an object pronoun before the verb, obligatory after negation, adverbs, relative pronouns and subordinating conjunctions, as in 'não me disse'.

Pleonasm

Redundant repetition of meaning within an expression, such as 'subir para cima' or 'há dois anos atrás'. Good writing removes the redundant element.

Arithmetic progression sum

The sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic progression equals n times the average of the first and last terms: S_n = n(a_1 + a_n)/2.

Compound interest formula

The amount after t periods is M = C(1 + i)^t, where C is principal and i the periodic rate. The rate and time must use the same unit.

Quadratic discriminant

The quantity Δ = b² − 4ac. If positive, the quadratic has two real roots; if zero, one double root; if negative, no real roots.

Rule of three

A proportional method: for direct proportion, multiply crosswise; for inverse proportion, invert one ratio before cross-multiplying to solve for the unknown.

Alvor Agreement

A January 1975 accord between Portugal and the MPLA, FNLA and UNITA recognising the three movements and setting a transitional government before independence on 11 November 1975.

Luena Memorandum

The April 2002 peace agreement that formally ended Angola's civil war after the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, providing for demobilisation and national reconciliation.

Cabinda

An Angolan province and exclave located north of the mouth of the Congo River, separated from the rest of Angola by a strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kwanza

Angola's national currency, named after the Kwanza River. The Kwanza River is one of Angola's principal rivers and supports hydroelectric production.

Benguela Current

A cold ocean current flowing north along Angola's Atlantic coast. It cools coastal air, suppresses rainfall and contributes to the semi-arid climate of southern coastal areas.

Angolan flag

The national flag has red and black horizontal bands with a yellow emblem of a machete, cogwheel and star, symbolising armed struggle, the continent and workers.

National Hero's Day

Observed on 17 September in honour of Agostinho Neto, Angola's first President and leader of the MPLA, commemorating his birth and national contribution.

Angolan Constitution 2010

The current constitution defines Angola as a democratic state based on the rule of law, with sovereignty vested in the people and fundamental rights guaranteed.

Virtus Unita Fortior

Latin for 'unity gives strength', Angola's national motto. It expresses the civic value of national unity, reconciliation and collective effort.

African Union

A continental organisation founded in 2002, replacing the OAU, headquartered in Addis Ababa. Angola is a member and participates in its peace and security structures.

SADC

The Southern African Development Community, headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. It promotes regional economic integration, peace and security; Angola is a founding member.

CPLP

The Community of Portuguese Language Countries, grouping Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste and Equatorial Guinea.

UN Security Council

The UN organ with primary responsibility for international peace and security. It has five permanent veto-holding members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

Sound argument

An argument is sound when it is valid and all its premises are actually true. Validity alone concerns form and does not guarantee true premises.

Modus tollens

A valid inference form: from 'if P then Q' and 'not Q', conclude 'not P'. It is the contrapositive reasoning counterpart of modus ponens.

Affirming the consequent

A formal fallacy: from 'if P then Q' and 'Q', concluding 'P'. The consequent may have other causes, so the conclusion does not follow.

De Morgan's laws

Logical equivalences: the negation of 'P and Q' equals 'not-P or not-Q'; the negation of 'P or Q' equals 'not-P and not-Q'.

Necessary condition

A condition that must hold for an outcome to occur, though it may not be enough alone. It differs from a sufficient condition, which guarantees the outcome.

Present perfect tense

Formed with have or has plus the past participle, it links a past action to present relevance, as in 'she has finished the report'.

Third conditional

If + past perfect, then would have + past participle, expressing an unreal or imagined past situation, as in 'If I had known, I would have come'.

Passive voice

Formed with be plus the past participle, it foregrounds the action or object rather than the agent, useful when the agent is unknown or unimportant.

Deterrence

A strategy preventing an adversary's action by credibly threatening unacceptable costs. It requires capability, credibility and clear communication of the threat.

Jus ad bellum

The set of conditions justifying resort to war: just cause, legitimate authority, proportionality, last resort and reasonable prospect of success.

Human security

A security concept focusing on individuals rather than states, covering economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political dimensions of safety.

Intelligence cycle

The structured process of direction, collection, processing, analysis and production, and dissemination that turns raw information into usable intelligence for decision-makers.