Angola

Angola 

 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic Congo

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 5,198 km, Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Democratic Republic Congo 2,511 km, Zambia 1,110 km

Coastline

1,600 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

None

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

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

NA km2

Environment

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

PEOPLE

Population

10,342,899 (July 1996 est.)
10,069,501 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

45% (male 2,340,804; female 2,275,689) (July 1996 est.)
45% (male 2,274,533; female 2,208,307) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

53% (male 2,748,417; female 2,706,295) (July 1996 est.)
53% (male 2,685,543; female 2,641,259) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

2% (male 128,067; female 143,627) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 123,286; female 136,573) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.68% (1996 est.)
2.68% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

44.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
45.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

17.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.1 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

138.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
142.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

6.35 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.42 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Literacy

Age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor Force

2.783 million economically active

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

AO

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional)

First nationwide, multiparty elections were held 29-30 September 1992 with disputed results; seats (223 total)

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relacao), judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president

Political Parties and Leaders

Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, is the ruling party and has been in power since 1975; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, is a legal party despite its history of armed resistance to the government; five minor parties have small numbers of seats in the National Assembly

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), N'ZITA Tiago, leader of largest faction (FLEC-FAC)

Note: FLEC is waging a small-scale, highly factionalized, armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC (observer), 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

National Anthem

Flag

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)

ECONOMY

Overview

Angola is an economy in disarray. Despite its abundant natural resources, output per capita is among the world's lowest. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 80%-90% of the population but accounts for less than 15% of GDP. Oil production and the supporting activities are vital to the economy, contributing about 50% to GDP. Despite the signing of a peace accord in November 1994 between the Angola Government and the UNITA insurgents, sporadic fighting continues and many farmers remain 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 - notably gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and arable land, in addition to its large oil deposits - Angola will need to observe the cease-fire, implement the peace agreement, and reform government policies.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.4 billion (1995 est.), $6.1 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4% (1995 est.)
-1% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$700 (1995 est.)
$620 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

20% average per month (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

24% with considerable underemployment (1993 est.)

Budget

Exports

$3 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$11.7 billion (1994 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA; accounts for about 60% of GDP, including petroleum output

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Cash crops - bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, cane, manioc, tobacco; food crops - cassava, corn, vegetables, plantains; livestock production accounts for 20%, fishing 4%, forestry 2% of total agricultural output

Illicit Drugs

Increasingly used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe

Economic Aid

Currency

1 new kwanza (NKz) = 100 lwei

Exchange Rates

New kwanza (NKz) per US$1 - 900,000 (official rate 25 April 1995), 1,900,000 (black market rate 6 April 1995), 600,000 (official rate 10 January 1995), 90,000 (official rate 1 June 1994), 180,000 (black market rate 1 June 1994); 7,000 (official rate 16 December 1993), 50,000 (black market rate 16 December 1993); 3,884 (July 1993); 550 (April 1992); 90 (November 1991); 60 (October 1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

1,295 km navigable

Pipelines

Crude oil 179 km

Ports

Ambriz, Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Malogo, Namibe, Porto Amboim, Soyo

Merchant Marine

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

78,000 telephones (1991 est.); telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Police Force

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 2,373,087; males fit for military service 1,195,176; males reach military age (18) annually 106,456 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 31% of GDP (1993)

History
World Atlas

Last updated: 21 november 1997