Introduction

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

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;land: 1,246,700 sq km;water: 0 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 salutation 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

Population: 11,190,786 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 2,454,209/female 2,407,083);15-64 years: 53.7% (male 3,059,339/female 2,955,060);65 years and over: 2.8% (male 139,961/female 175,134) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 18.12 years; male: 18.12 years; female: 18.11 years (2005 est.) ;

Population growth rate: 1.9% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 44.64 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 Death rate: 25.9 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 Net migration rate: 0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 191.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 203.68 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 178.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 36.61 years; male: 36 years; female: 37.25 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.27 children born/woman (2005 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: degree of risk: very high; food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever;vectorborne diseases: malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations; respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis; water contact disease: schistosomiasis (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;total population: 42%;male: 56%;female: 28% (1998 est.)

Government

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

Government type: republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system

Capital: Luanda

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

Independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6 March 1991, and 26 August 1992; note - new constitution has not yet been approved

Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: 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 five-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 September 2006)

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

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)

Elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September 2006)

Election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, others 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, others 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal da Relacao (judges are appointed by the president)

Economy

Economy - overview: Angola has been an economy in disarray because of a quarter century of nearly continuous warfare. An apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002, but consequences from the conflict continue including the impact of widespread land mines. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 85% of the population. Oil production and the supporting activities are vital to the economy, contributing about 45% to GDP and more than half of exports. Much of the country's food must still be imported. To fully take advantage of its rich natural resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to continue reforming government policies and to reduce corruption. While Angola made progress in further lowering inflation, from 325% in 2000 to about 106% in 2002, the government has failed to make sufficient progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as increasing foreign exchange reserves and promoting greater transparency in government spending. Increased oil production supported 7% GDP growth in 2003 and 12% growth in 2004.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $23.17 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 11.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8%;industry: 67%;services: 25% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 5.41 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85%, industry and services 15% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 70% (2003 est.)  

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA;highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 43.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 34.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $9.013 billion;expenditures: $9.562 billion, including capital expenditures of $963 million (2004 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2000)

Electricity - production: 1.707 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - consumption: 1.587 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 980,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves: 22.88 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 530 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 530 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 79.57 billion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $-37.88 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $12.76 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Exports - partners: US 39.8%, China 30.3%, Taiwan 8.1%, France 7.1% (2004)

Imports: $4.896 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Imports - partners: Portugal 18.4%, US 13.1%, South Africa 10.7%, Japan 6.9%, France 6.3%, Brazil 5.6%, UK 4.9%, China 4.5% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $800 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $10.45 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $383.5 million (1999)

Currency (code): kwanza (AOA)

Exchange rates: kwanza per US dollar - 83.541 (2004), 74.606 (2003), 43.53 (2002), 22.058 (2001), 10.041 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 96,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 130,000 (2002)

Telephone system: 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: country code - 244; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2000)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (2000)

Internet country code: .ao

Internet hosts: 17 (2003)

Internet users: 41,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways: total: 2,761 km;narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2004)

Highways: total: 51,429 km;paved: 5,328 km;unpaved: 46,101 km (2001)

Waterways: 1,300 km (2004)

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