Prince Harry visited Angola from July 15 to 16 to retrace Princess Diana’s iconic 1997 minefield walk, 28 years after her historic trip. On this solo visit, he supported The HALO Trust’s demining efforts, wearing protective gear to walk through an active minefield, meeting children, and sharing safety advice in Portuguese. The trip highlights Angola’s ongoing landmine threat, with over 120,000 mines cleared but 1,000 fields still active. While solo, the visit evoked both praise and media scrutiny of his intentions.
The land mine is one of the most destructive and indiscriminate weapons of war ever devised. The history of this insidious explosive device can be traced back to China and the invention of gunpowder, and it's since been described as the perfect soldier: "ever courageous, never sleeps, never misses."
How much do we know about these violent, hidden weapons, and where in the world are they most prolific? Click through and read more about the explosive history of land mines.