@Angola
Introduction Angola
Background:
Angola has begun to enjoy the fruits of peace since 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 national elections in 2006.
Geography Angola
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 references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
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
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
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold,
bauxite, uranium
Land use: arable land: 2.41% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 97.35% (2001)
Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of
the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
People Angola
Population:
10,978,552 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 43.5% (male 2,410,326; female 2,363,368)
15–64 years: 53.7% (male 2,998,892; female 2,897,837)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 137,340; female 170,789) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.1 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.1 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.93% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
45.14 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
25.86 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 192.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 179.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 204.97 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 36.79 years
male: 36.06 years
female: 37.55 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
240,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
21,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Angolan(s)
adjective: Angolan
Ethnic groups:
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European
and Native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998
est.)
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write