Background:
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| Angola is 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 fighting picked up again by 1996. 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. President DOS SANTOS held legislative elections in September 2008, and announced plans to hold presidential elections in 2009. |
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Location:
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| Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 30 S, 18 30 E
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Area:
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total: 1,246,700 sq km
country comparison to the world: 30
land:
1,246,700 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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1,600 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
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Climate:
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semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
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Terrain:
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narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Morro de Moco 2,620 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops:
0.23%
other:
97.12% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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800 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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184 cu km (1987)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.35 cu km/yr (23%/17%/60%)
per capita:
22 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Population:
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| 12,799,293 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,812,359/female 2,759,047)
15-64 years:
53.7% (male 3,496,726/female 3,382,440)
65 years and over:
2.7% (male 153,678/female 195,043) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 18 years
male:
18 years
female:
18 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.095% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
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Birth rate:
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43.69 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
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Death rate:
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24.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
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Net migration rate:
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1.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
4.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.79 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 180.21 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 1
male:
192.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
167.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 38.2 years
country comparison to the world: 223
male:
37.24 years
female:
39.22 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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6.12 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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190,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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11,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis (2009)
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Nationality:
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noun: Angolan(s)
adjective:
Angolan
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Ethnic groups:
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Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)
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Languages:
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Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
67.4%
male:
82.9%
female:
54.2% (2001 est.)
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Education expenditures:
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2.4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 159
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