Angola |
Angola lies in Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Land Boundaries:
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, and Zambia 1,110 km
Geography:
Angola is 1,246,700 sq km , slightly less than twice the size of Texas, US. Angola's terrain consists of a narrow coastal plain which rises abruptly to a vast interior plateau. Angola's climate is semiarid in the south and along the coast to the capital Luanda. The North of Angola has a cool dry season (May to October) and a hot rainy season (November to April). Angola's lowest point is at the Atlantic Ocean (sea level); its highest point is Morro de Moco which stands at 2,620 m . Angola is rich in natural resources like petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium.But it doesn't have much arable land , only 2.65% of land is used for growing crops.
A geographic footnote: The province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Population:
Just over 12 million people live in Angola. Life expectancy is low at around 38 years. Birth rate is on average 6.3 children per woman. Literacy rate is just over 66%.
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages.
Ethnic Groups:
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, and other 22%.
Religion:
Indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%.
Political History:
Angola is slowly rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. Savimbi's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on power. Dos Santos has pledged to hold legislative elections in 2006.
Economic Overview:
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 half of GDP and 90% of exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004 and 19% growth in 2005. 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 half of the population, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects are scheduled for completion by 2006. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation, a policy that was more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings, and has significantly reduced inflation. Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to about 18% in 2005, but the stabilization policy places pressure on international net liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to continue reforming government policies and to reduce corruption. The government has made sufficient progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as promoting greater transparency in government spending but continues to be without a formal monitoring agreement with the institution.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Further Reading:
Angola in the World Cup 2006
Africa Vacation Planner
How to Get a Cheap Flight to Africa
South Africa Travel Guide
Namibia Travel Guide
Zambia Travel Guide
