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
Total: 1,246,700 km²
Land: 1,246,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,198 km
Border countries: (4) Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km; (of which 220 km; is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km; , Namibia 1,376 km; , Zambia 1,110 km

Coastline: 1600 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM

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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 23%
Forests and woodland: 43%
Other: 32% (1993 est.)

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: 10,366,031 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.15% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Angolan
Adjective: Angolan

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
0-14 years: 43.31% (male 2,266,870; female 2,222,262)
15-64 years: 53.98% (male 2,847,089; female 2,748,091)
65 years and over: 2.71% (male 127,798; female 153,921) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.15% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 46.54 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 24.68 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 193.72 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 38.59 years
Male: 37.36 years
Female: 39.87 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.48 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.78% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 160,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 15,000 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 42%
Male: 56%
Female: 28% (1998 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Angola
Conventional short form: Angola
Local long form: Republica de Angola
Local short form: Angola
Former: People's Republic of Angola

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
Chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in 1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)
Election results: DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war resumed

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, others 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, others 7

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

Political parties and leaders
Note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections but won few seats and have little influence in the National Assembly

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKIDI
In the us chancery: 1615 M Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156
In the us fax: [1] (202) 785-1258
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph G. SULLIVAN
From the us embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumeddienne, Luanda
From the us mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6,484, Luanda; pouch: American Embassy Luanda, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-2,550
From the us telephone: [244] (2) 345-481, 346-418
From the us fax: [244] (2) 346-924

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. 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 fully take advantage of its rich resources - gold diamonds extensive forests Atlantic fisheries and large oil deposits - Angola will need to end its conflict and continue reforming government policies. Despite the increase in the pace of civil warfare in late 1998 the economy grew by an estimated 5% in 2000. The government introduced new currency denominations in 1999 including 1 and 5 kwanza notes. Internal strife discourages investment outside of the petroleum sector which is producing roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day. Angola has entered into a Staff Monitored Program (SMP) with the IMF. Continued growth depends on sharp cuts in inflation further economic reform and a lessening of fighting.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.9% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1000 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7%
Industry: 60%
Services: 33% (1999 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $928 million
Expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $963 million (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 325% (2000 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: $7.8 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: crude oil 90% diamonds refined petroleum products gas coffee sisal fish and fish products timber cotton
Partners: US 54% South Korea 14% Benelux 11% China 7% Taiwan 6% (1999)

Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment vehicles and spare parts; medicines food textiles military goods
Partners: South Korea 16% Portugal 15% US 13% South Africa 10% France 8% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $10.8 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kwanza per US dollar - 17,910,800 (January 2001) 10,041,000 (2000) 2,790,706 (1999) 392,824 (1998) 229,040 (1997) 128,029 (1996); note - in December 1999 the kwanza was revalued with six zeroes dropped off the old value


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Electricity
Production: 1.475 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 32.2%
Production by source hydro: 67.8%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 1.372 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 62,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 7,052 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links
Domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ao
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 12,000 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.2 billion (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 22% (1999)

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: 247 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 31
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 216
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 30
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 96
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 83 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 179 km

Railways
Total: 2,771 km (inland, much of the track is unusable because of land mines still in place from the civil war)
Narrow gauge: 2,648 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2000)

Roadways

Waterways: 1295 km

Merchant marine
Total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,305 GRT/63,067 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 8, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs