Current Environmental 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

Geography

Map of Angola. (Source: EIA)

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

Geographic Coordinates: 12 30 S, 18 30 E

Area:

total: 1,246,700 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Land Boundraies:

total: 5,198 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km

Coastline: 1,600 km

Maritime Claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain

Narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Elevation Extremes:

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

Climate

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

Government

Government Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital: Luanda

Independence Date: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

Legal System: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

International Agreement

Environmental-international Agreement:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People and Society

Population: 12,531,357 (July 2008 est.)

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 43.6% (male 2,760,264/female 2,707,665)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 3,416,914/female 3,302,552)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 151,609/female 192,353) (2008 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 2.136% (2008 est.)

Birthrate: 44.09 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death Rate: 24.44 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net Migration Rate: 1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth:

total population: 37.92 years
male: 36.99 years
female: 38.9 years (2008 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 6.2 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Languages: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.4%
male: 82.9%
female: 54.2% (2001 est.)

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 184 cu km (1987)

Freshwater Withdrawal (domestic, industrial, agricultural):

total: 0.35 cu km/yr (23%/17%/60%)
per capita: 22 cu m/yr (2000)

Agriculture

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

Irrigated Lands: 800 sq km (2003)

Resources

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

Land Use:

arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 97.12% (2005)

Energy

Health

Prevalence Rate of HIV/AIDS in Adults: 3.9% (2003 est.)

Conflict

International Disputes:

Cabindan separatists continue to return to the Angolan exclave from exile in neighboring states and Europe since the 2006 ceasefire and peace agreement.

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons:

refugees (country of origin): 12,615 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IDPs: 61,700 (27-year civil war ending in 2002; 4 million IDPs already have returned) (2007)

Economy

Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit, since increased to $7 billion, from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. Angola also has large credit lines from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 13% in 2007, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. Angola became a member of OPEC in late 2006 and in late 2007 was assigned a production quota of 1.9 million barrels a day, somewhat less than the 2-2.5 million bbl Angola's government had wanted. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms, increase transparency, and reduce corruption. The government has rejected a formal IMF monitored program, although it continues Article IV consultations and ad hoc cooperation. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, and the negative effects of large inflows of foreign exchange, are major challenges facing Angola.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $91.29 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $61.36 billion (2007 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 21.1% (2007 est.)

GDP-per capita (PPP): $5,600 (2007 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:

agriculture: 9.5%
industry: 65.8%
services: 24.6% (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 70% (2003 est.)

Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

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

Exports: crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Export Partners: US 34.8%, China 32%, France 6.4%, Taiwan 6.1% (2006)

Imports: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Import Partners: Portugal17.9%, US 9.9%, South Korea 9.9%, China 9.4%, Brazil 8.1%, South Africa6.5%, France 5.8%, UK 4.4% (2006)

Economic Aid Recipient: $441.8 million (2005)

Currency: kwanza (AOA)

Communications

Telephones-main line in use: 98,200 (2006)

Telephones-mobile/cellular: 2.264 million (2006)

Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2001)

Television Broadcast Stations: 6 (2000)

Internet Hosts: 3337 (2007)

Internet Users: 85,000 (2005)

Transportation

Airports: 232 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 234 km; liquid petroleum gas 85 km; oil 896 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2006)

Ports and Terminals: Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe