Angola

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

0-14 years:

43.3% (male 2,318,326; female 2,272,726)

15-64 years:

53.9% (male 2,904,595; female 2,806,430)

65 years and over:

2.8% (male 131,316; female 159,778) (2002 est.)

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:

0.82 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Angolan(s)

adjective:

Angolan

conventional long form:

Republic of Angola

conventional short form:

Angola

local short form:

Angola

former:

People's Republic of Angola

local long form:

Republica de Angola

• 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

chief of state:

President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government;
• Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was appointed Prime Minister on 6 December 2002, but this is not a position of real power

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections:

• president elected by universal ballot for a NA-year term;
• President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in 1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)

election results:

• DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary;
• the run-off was not held and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election;
• the civil war resumed

• Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA];
• National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed leadership: Lucas NGONDA, Holden ROBERTO];
• National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [interim leader: Paulo Lukamba "GATO"], largest opposition party has engaged in years of armed resistance;
• Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS], ruling party in power since 1975;
• Social Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA, Antonio MUACHICUNGO];
• UNITA-Renovada [Secretary General: Jorge VALENTIM], party officially reunited with UNITA in October 2002

note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections but only won a few seats and have little influence in the National Assembly

chief of mission:

Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKIDI

FAX:

[1] (202) 785-1258

consulate(s) general:

Houston and New York

telephone:

[1] (202) 785-1156

chancery:

1615 M Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission:

Ambassador Christopher William DELL

embassy:

number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda

mailing address:

international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda; pouch: American Embassy Luanda, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2550

telephone:

[244] (2) 445-481, 447-028, 446-224

FAX:

[244] (2) 446-924

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

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

• kwanza per US dollar - 32.8716 (January 2002), 22.058 (2001), 10.041 (2000), 2.791 (1999), 0.393 (1998), 0.229 (1997);
• note - in December 1999 the kwanza was revalued with six zeroes dropped off the old value

general assessment:

telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links

domestic:

limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

2,771 km (inland, much of the track is unusable because of land mines still in place from the civil war)

narrow gauge:

2,648 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2000 est.)

total:

76,626 km

paved:

19,156 km

unpaved:

57,470 km (1997)

total:

9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,305 GRT/63,528 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 8, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)