| Global Cost of Living Rank |
| CIA Background Information |
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 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. President DOS SANTOS has announced legislative elections will be held in September 2008, with presidential elections planned for sometime in 2009.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
Angola is a large, developing country in south-west central Africa. The capital city is Luanda. Portuguese, the official language, is widely spoken throughout the country. Despite its extensive oil and mineral reserves and arable land suitable for large-scale production of numerous crops, Angola has some of the world's lowest social development indicators. Development was severely restricted by a 27-year long civil war that broke out upon independence in 1975, which destroyed the majority of the country's infrastructure. Since the conflict's conclusion in 2002, the government has initiated extensive infrastructure reconstruction and development projects, ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Angolan(s).
Population (2008 est.): 16,000,000.
Annual population growth rate (2004): 2.8%.
Ethnic groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mixed racial 2%, European 1%.
Religions (2001 official est.): Roman Catholic 68%, various Protestant 20%; indigenous beliefs 12%.
Languages: Portuguese (official), Ovimbundu, Kimbundu, Bakongo, and others.
Education: Years compulsory--8. Enrollment (combined gross enrollment for primary, secondary, and tertiary schools, 2004 ... Read this Article
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Location: Angola is Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo See Map
Capital: name: Luanda
geographic coordinates: 8 50 S, 13 14 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): kwanza (AOA) ...More
Area: total: 1,246,700 sq km , land: 1,246,700 sq km , water: 0 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m , highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 12,531,357 (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
Religion: indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)
Languages: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
More Statistics
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| History
In 1482, when the Portuguese first landed in what is now northern Angola, they encountered the Kingdom of the Congo, which stretched from modern Gabon in the north to the Kwanza River in the south. Mbanza Congo, the capital, had a population of 50,000 people. South of this kingdom were various ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Angola : |
Geography
Area: 1,246,700 sq. km. (481,400 sq. mi), about twice the size of Texas.
Cities: Capital--Luanda (est. pop. 5.0 million); Huambo (750,000); Benguela (600,000).
Terrain: A narrow, dry coastal strip extending from the far north (Luanda) to Namibia in the south; well-watered agricultural highlands; savanna in the far east and south; and rain forest in ... Read this Article
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