Map of Angola | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Civil war has been the norm in Angola since independence from Portugal in 1975. A 1994 peace accord between the government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) provided for the integration of former UNITA insurgents into the government and armed forces. A national unity government was installed in April of 1997 but serious fighting resumed in late 1998 rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost in fighting over the past quarter century.


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Location: Southern Africa bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 12 30 S 18 30 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1600 km

Maritime claims

Climate: semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool dry season (May to October) and hot rainy season (November to April)

Terrain: narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum diamonds iron ore phosphates copper feldspar gold bauxite uranium

Land use

Irrigated land: 750 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Geography
Note: Cabinda is separated from rest of country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo


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Population: 10,145,267 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.15% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Ovimbundu 37% Kimbundu 25% Bakongo 13% mestico (mixed European and Native African) 2% European 1% other 22%

Languages: Portuguese (official) Bantu and other African languages

Religions: indigenous beliefs 47% Roman Catholic 38% Protestant 15% (1998 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.15% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 46.89 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 25.01 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 195.78 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 6.52 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: transitional government nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system

Capital: Luanda

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (provincias singular - provincia); Bengo Benguela Bie Cabinda Cuando Cubango Cuanza Norte Cuanza Sul Cunene Huambo Huila Luanda Lunda Norte Lunda Sul Malanje Moxico Namibe Uige Zaire

Dependent areas

Independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day 11 November (1975)

Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978 11 August 1980 6 March 1991 and 26 August 1992

Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal da Relacao judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA]; National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed leadership: Lucas NGONDA Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Jonas SAVIMBI] largest opposition party engaged in years of armed resistance before joining the current unity government in April 1997; Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS] ruling party in power since 1975; Social Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA Antonio MUACHICUNGO]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB CCC CEEAC ECA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ITU NAM OAS (observer) OAU SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Angola is an economy in disarray because of a quarter century of nearly continuous warfare. Despite its abundant natural resources output per capita is among the world's lowest. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 85% of the population. Oil production and the supporting activities are vital to the economy contributing about 45% to GDP and 90% of exports. Notwithstanding the signing of a peace accord in November 1994 violence continues millions of land mines remain and many farmers are reluctant to return to their fields. As a result much of the country's food must still be imported. To take advantage of its rich resources - gold diamonds extensive forests Atlantic fisheries and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement the peace agreement and reform government policies. Despite the increase in the pace of civil warfare in late 1998 the economy grew by an estimated 4% in 1999. The government introduced new currency denominations in 1999 including a 1 and 5 kwanza note. Expanded oil production brightens prospects for 2000 but internal strife discourages investment outside of the petroleum sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1030 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: bananas sugarcane coffee sisal corn cotton manioc (tapioca) tobacco vegetables plantains; livestock; forest products; fish

Industries: petroleum; diamonds iron ore phosphates feldspar bauxite uranium and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing; brewing; tobacco products; sugar; textiles

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 5 million (1997 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry and services: 15% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 270% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $5 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: crude oil 90% diamonds refined petroleum products gas coffee sisal fish and fish products timber cotton
Partners: US 63% Benelux 9% China Chile France (1998)

Imports: $3 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment vehicles and spare parts; medicines food textiles military goods
Partners: Portugal 20% US 17% South Africa 10% Spain Brazil France (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $10.5 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kwanza (NKz) per US$1 - 577,304 (January 2000) 2,790,706 (1999) 392,824 (1998) 229,040 (1997) 128,029 (1996) 2,750 (1995); note - beginning in June 1998 the official rate is determined weekly in accordance with a crawling peg scheme


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Electricity
Production: 1.886 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 1.754 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 60,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 1994 (1995)

Telephone system: telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.2 billion (FY97/98)
Percent of gdp: 25% (FY97/98)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 249 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 179 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1295 km navigable

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasingly used as a transshipment point for cocaine and heroin destined for Western Europe and other African states