Angola
Republic of AngolaRepublica de Angola
republicIndependence 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Angola as the 2011 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 150 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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, despite promising to hold presidential elections in 2009, has since pushed through a new constitution that calls for elections in 2012.
Geography
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
20 fieldsLand useshare of 1,246,700 sq km
Location
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Climate
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Natural resources
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.35 cu km/yr (23%/17%/60%)
- per capita:
- 22 cu m/yr (2000)
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, 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
Geography - note
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
People and Society
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2011 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Religions(1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- 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 (2011 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- 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)
Government
Republic; President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional, 220 seats, elected 5-6 September 2008one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Angola
- conventional short form:
- Angola
- local long form:
- Republica de Angola
- local short form:
- Angola
- former:
- People's Republic of Angola
Capital
- name:
- Luanda
- geographic coordinates:
- 8 50 S, 13 14 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
- 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
Legal system
civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979);
- Vice President Fernando da Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS (since 2 February 2010);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Vice President Fernando da Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS (since 2 February 2010)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president indirectly elected by National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under the 2010 constitution;
- President DOS SANTOS was selected by the party to take over after the death of former President Augustino NETO (1979) under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections on 29-30 September 1992 (next were to be held in September 2009 but were postponed)
- election results:
- Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary;
- the run-off was never held leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position as the president
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 5-6 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - MPLA 81.6%, UNITA 10.4%, PRS 3.2%, ND 1.2%, FNLA 1.1%, other 2.5%; seats by party - MPLA 191, UNITA 16, PRS 8, FNLA 3, ND 2
Judicial branch
- Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional;
- Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo;
- Court of Auditions or Tribunal de Contas;
- Supreme Military Court or Supremo Tribunal Militar;
- judges for all courts appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders
- National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [Ngola KABANGU];
- National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA] (largest opposition party);
- New Democracy Electoral Union or ND [Quintino de MOREIRA];
- Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS] (ruling party in power since 1975);
- Social Renewal Party or PRS [Eduardo KUANGANA]
note: nine other parties participated in the legislative election in September 2008 but won no seats
Political pressure groups and leaders
Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE] note: FLEC's small-scale armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province persists despite the signing of a peace accord with the government in August 2006
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPEC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Alberto do Carmo BENTO RIBEIRO
- chancery:
- 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 785-1156
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 785-1258
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Christopher J. MCMULLEN
- embassy:
- number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda
- mailing address:
- international mail:
- Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda; pouch: US Embassy Luanda, US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550
- telephone:
- [244] (222) 64-1000
- FAX:
- [244] (222) 64-1232
Flag description
- two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle);
- red represents liberty, black the African continent, the symbols characterize workers and peasants
National anthem
- name:
- "Angola Avante" (Forward Angola)
- lyrics/music:
- Manuel Rui Alves MONTEIRO/Rui Alberto Vieira Dias MINGAO
note: adopted 1975
Economy
Angola's high growth rate in recent years was driven by high international prices for its oil.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Angola's high growth rate in recent years was driven by high international prices for its oil. 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 (bbl/day), somewhat less than the 2-2.5 million bbl/day Angola's government had wanted.
Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Diamond exports contribute an additional 5%. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food is still imported. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2008.
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. Land mines left from the war still mar the countryside, even though peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002.
Since 2005, the government has used billions of dollars in credit lines from China, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure. The global recession temporarily stalled economic growth. Lower prices for oil and diamonds during the global recession led to a contraction in GDP in 2009, and many construction projects stopped because Luanda accrued $9 billion in arrears to foreign construction companies when government revenue fell in 2008 and 2009.
Angola abandoned its currency peg in 2009, and in November 2009 signed onto an IMF Stand-By Arrangement loan of $1.4 billion to rebuild international reserves. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 14% in 2010, Luanda has been unable to reduce inflation below 10%. The Angolan kwanza depreciated again in mid 2010, which, along with higher oil prices, should boost economic growth in all sectors. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, also is a major challenge.
Central bank discount rate
25% (31 December 2010 est.) · 30% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Commercial bank prime lending rate
22.68% (31 December 2010 est.) · 15.68% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Stock of narrow money
$18.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $18.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Stock of broad money
$28.14 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $25.77 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Stock of domestic credit
$18.95 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $19.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Agriculture - products
- bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains;
- livestock;
- forest products;
- fish
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
Natural gas - proved reserves
309.8 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Current account balance
$7.202 billion (2010 est.) · -$7.572 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Exports - commodities
crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton
Imports - commodities
machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$19.66 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $13.66 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Debt - external
$18.11 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $16.72 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$88.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $78.45 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$5.096 billion (31 December 2010 est.) · $3.933 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Exchange rates
kwanza (AOA) per US dollar - 92.08 (2010) · 79.33 (2009) · 75.023 (2008) · 76.6 (2007) · 80.4 (2006)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- limited system;
- state-owned telecom had monopoly for fixed-lines until 2005;
- demand outstripped capacity, prices were high, and services poor;
- Telecom Namibia, through an Angolan company, became the first private licensed operator in Angola's fixed-line telephone network;
- by 2010, the number of fixed-line providers had expanded to 5;
- Angola Telecom established mobile-cellular service in Luanda in 1993 and the network has been extended to larger towns;
- a privately-owned, mobile-cellular service provider began operations in 2001
- domestic:
- only about two fixed-lines per 100 persons; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 70 telephones per 100 persons in 2010
- international:
- country code - 244;
- landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia;
- satellite earth stations - 29 (2009)
Broadcast media
- state controls all broadcast media with nationwide reach;
- state-owned Televisao Popular de Angola (TPA) provides terrestrial TV service on 2 channels;
- a third TPA channel is available via cable and satellite;
- TV subscription services are available;
- state-owned Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) broadcasts on 5 stations;
- about a half dozen private radio stations broadcast locally (2008)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 7 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 2,764 km
country comparison to the world: 59
- narrow gauge:
- 2,641 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2010)
Military
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA; under operational control of the Army) (2011)
Military service age and obligation
- 20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years for voluntary male military service;
- conscript service obligation - 2 years;
- 20-45 years of age for voluntary female service;
- Angolan citizenship required;
- the Marinha de Guerra Angola (Navy, MgA) is entirely staffed with volunteers (2011)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 3,062,438
- females age 16-49:
- 2,964,262 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
4 fieldsRefugees 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)
Trafficking in persons
- current situation:
- Angola is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor;
- internally, trafficking victims reportedly are forced to labor in agriculture, construction, domestic service, and diamond mines;
- Angolan women and children are subjected to domestic servitude in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Namibia, and some European nations, primarily Portugal;
- Vietnamese, Chinese, and Brazilian women in prostitution in Angola may also be victims of sex trafficking;
- reports indicate that Chinese, South East Asian, Namibian, and possibly Congolese migrants are subjected to forced labor in Angola's construction industry
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List - the Government of Angola does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
- however, it is making efforts to do so;
- the government did not demonstrate an increase in its modest anti-trafficking efforts of the previous year;
- no efforts were made to improve its minimal protection services provided to victims or to raise awareness of trafficking (2011)
Illicit drugs
used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Angola.” The World Factbook 2011. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/angola/2011.