| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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: |
Luanda |
| Location: |
Southern Africa,
bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic
Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
12 30 S, 18 30
E |
| 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 |
| Elavation
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 |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic, nominally
a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system |
| Administratives
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 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 |
| 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 NA)
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) |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
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 [Isaias
SAMAKUVA], 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]
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 |
| PEOPLE |
| 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.) |
| 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 |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| 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) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
0 |
| Highways: |
total: 51,429
km
paved: 5,349 km
unpaved: 46,080 km (1999) |
| Waterways: |
1,300 km (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 214 km; liquid
natural gas 14 km; liquid petroleum gas 30 km; oil 837 km; refined
products 56 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
Ambriz, Cabinda,
Lobito, Luanda, Malongo, Namibe (Mocamedes), Porto Amboim, Soyo |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 7
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 26,123 GRT/42,879 DWT
by type: cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.) |
| Airports: |
244 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 32
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 211
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 95
under 914 m: 80 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
none |
|
