2015 Edition

Background

Angola is still rebuilding its country 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 fighting picked up again in 1993. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - during the more than a quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. President DOS SANTOS pushed through a new constitution in 2010; elections held in 2012 saw him installed as president. Angola assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.

Area

land

1,246,700 sq km

total

1,246,700 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Coastline

1,600 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Moca 2,620 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

40.27 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.71 cu km/yr (45%/34%/21%)

Geographic coordinates

12 30 S, 18 30 E

Geography - note

the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Irrigated land

855.3 sq km (2005)

Land boundaries

border countries (4)

Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 231 km, Namibia 1,427 km, Zambia 1,065 km

total

5,369 km

Land use

arable land 3.8%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 43.3%

agricultural land

47.3%

forest

46.8%

other

5.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Natural resources

petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

Terrain

narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Total renewable water resources

148 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

42.95% (male 4,297,988/female 4,131,037)

15-24 years

20.65% (male 2,061,704/female 1,990,206)

25-54 years

29.46% (male 2,916,132/female 2,865,417)

55-64 years

3.98% (male 379,531/female 401,563)

65 years and over

2.96% (male 269,164/female 312,611) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

38.78 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

24% (2001 est.)

total number

832,895

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

15.6% (2007)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

17.7% (2008/09)

Death rate

11.49 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.6%

potential support ratio

21.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

99.9%

youth dependency ratio

95.2%

Drinking water source

urban: 75.4% of population

rural: 28.2% of population

total: 49% of population

urban: 24.6% of population

rural: 71.8% of population

total: 51% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Health expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.41% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

11,770 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

304,400 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2005)

Infant mortality rate

female

74.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

81.96 deaths/1,000 live births

total

78.26 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

56.84 years (2015 est.)

male

54.49 years

total population

55.63 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

60.7% (2015 est.)

male

82%

total population

71.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

LUANDA (capital) 5.506 million; Huambo 1.269 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

477 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

18.2 years (2015 est.)

male

17.8 years

total

18 years

Nationality

adjective

Angolan

noun

Angolan(s)

Net migration rate

0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.5% (2014)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

19,625,353

note

preliminary results from Angola's 2014 national census estimate the country's population to be 24.3 million (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.78% (2015 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 88.6% of population

rural: 22.5% of population

total: 51.6% of population

urban: 11.4% of population

rural: 77.5% of population

total: 48.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

9 years (2011)

male

14 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.37 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

44% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Kwando Kubango, Kwanza Norte, Kwanza Sul, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Capital

geographic coordinates

8 50 S, 13 13 E

name

Luanda

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Angola

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

previous 1975, 1992; latest passed by National Assembly 21 January 2010, adopted 5 February 2010 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Angola

conventional short form

Angola

etymology

name derived by the Portuguese from the title "ngola" held by kings of the Ndongo (Ndongo was a kingdom in what is now northern Angola)

former

People's Republic of Angola

local long form

Republica de Angola

local short form

Angola

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Helen Meagher LA LIME (15 May 2014)

embassy

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

FAX

[244] (222) 64-1000

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] 946440977

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2100-2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Agostinho Tavares da Silva NETO (since 18 November 2014)

consulate(s) general

Houston, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 822-9049

telephone

[1] (202) 785-1156

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Vice President Manuel Domingos VICENTE (since 26 September 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

NA; as leader of the MPLA, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS elected president following legislative elections on 31 August 2012, inaugurated on 26 September 2012 to serve the first of a possible two terms under the 2010 constitution

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term); note - according to the 2010 constitution, ballots are cast for parties rather than candidates, and the leader of the winning party becomes president

head of government

President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Vice President Manuel Domingos VICENTE (since 26 September 2012)

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

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime

Independence

11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPEC, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Tribunal da Relacao (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges; Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional - legislative review (consists of 11 members)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, an 18-member body presided over by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 4 nominated by the president, 4 elected by National Assembly, 2 elected by Supreme National Council, 1 elected by competitive submission of curricula; judges serve single 7-year terms

subordinate courts

provincial and municipal courts

Legal system

civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislation

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members directly elected in a single national constituency and in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MPLA 71.8%, UNITA 18.7%, CASA-CE 6.0%, PRS 1.7%, FNLA 1.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - MPLA 175, UNITA 32, CASA-CE 8, PRS 3, FNLA 2

elections

last held on 31 August 2012 (next to be held in 2017)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Manuel Rui Alves MONTEIRO/Rui Alberto Vieira Dias MINGAO

name

"Angola Avante" (Forward Angola)

note

adopted 1975

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

National symbol(s)

Palanca Negra Gigante (giant black sable antelope); national colors: red, black, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE [Abel CHIVUKUVUKU]

National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [Lucas NGONDA]

National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA] (largest opposition party)

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Angolan Revolutionary Movement or ARM

Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO]

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; several factions of FLEC have broken off over the past 30 years, including the FLEC-PM [Rodrigues MINGAS], which was responsible for a deadly attack on the Togolese soccer team in 2010

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$55.8 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$47.09 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2014)

25% (31 December 2010)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.38% (31 December 2014 est.)

15.81% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.951 billion (2014 est.)

$8.348 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$28.62 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

Angola's economy is overwhelmingly driven by its oil sector. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 50% of GDP, more than 70% of government revenue, and more than 90% of the country's exports. Diamonds contribute an additional 5% to exports. 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 17% 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. Some of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. However, the government since 2005 has used billions of dollars in credit lines from China, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU to help rebuild Angola's public infrastructure. Land mines left from the war still mar the countryside, and as a result, the national military, international partners, and private Angolan firms all continue to remove them. The global recession that started in 2008 stalled economic growth. In particular, lower prices for oil and diamonds during the global recession slowed GDP growth to 2.4% 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 formally 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. Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to less than 9% in 2014. Falling oil prices and slower than expected growth in non-oil GDP have reduced growth prospects for 2015. Angola has responded by reducing government subsidies and by proposing import quotas and a more restrictive licensing regime. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, is a major long-term challenge.

Exchange rates

kwanza (AOA) per US dollar -

98.3 (2014 est.)

98.3 (2013 est.)

95.47 (2012 est.)

93.74 (2011 est.)

91.91 (2010 est.)

Exports

$59.98 billion (2014 est.)

$68.25 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Exports - partners

China 48.1%, US 8.9%, India 8.8%, Spain 5.6% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

58.5%

government consumption

20.7%

household consumption

50%

imports of goods and services

-42%

investment in fixed capital

14.7%

investment in inventories

-1.9%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

10.2%

industry

61.4%

services

28.4% (2011 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,300 (2014 est.)

$6,900 (2013 est.)

$6,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.8% (2014 est.)

6.8% (2013 est.)

5.2% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$129.3 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$177.3 billion (2014 est.)

$169.2 billion (2013 est.)

$158.4 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

13.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

21.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

26.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

44.7% (2000)

lowest 10%

0.6%

Imports

$29.24 billion (2014 est.)

$26.34 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Imports - partners

China 23.7%, Portugal 16.3%, US 8.1%, South Korea 7.1%, Brazil 5%, South Africa 4.2%, France 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

5.8% (2014 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.3% (2014 est.)

8.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

10.18 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

85%

industry and services

15% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

40.5% (2006 est.)

Public debt

34.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

31.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$18.46 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$27.09 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$51.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$45.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$23.44 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$17.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$10.57 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.078 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$23.12 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$23.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$30.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$26.52 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

36.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

31.61 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

1.815 million bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

1.742 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

9.011 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

4.842 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

50.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

49.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.53 million kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

5.475 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

495 million cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

925 million cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

275 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

112,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

21,740 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

75,790 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

40,010 bbl/day (2012 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.ao

Internet users

percent of population

19.4% (2014 est.)

total

3.7 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

about two fixed lines per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 50 telephones per 100 persons in 2011

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

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

280,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

74 (2014 est.)

total

14.1 million

Television broadcast stations

6 (2000)

Airports

176 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

12

2,438 to 3,047 m

8

914 to 1,523 m

4 (2013)

over 3,047 m

7

total

31

Airports - with unpaved runways

43 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

31

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

66

over 3,047 m

2

total

145

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

1 (Spain 1)

registered in other countries

17 (Bahamas 6, Curacao 2, Cyprus 1, Liberia 1, Malta 7) (2010)

total

7

Pipelines

gas 352 km; liquid petroleum gas 85 km; oil 1,065 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Angola Soyo

major seaport(s)

Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe

Railways

narrow gauge

2,729 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2014)

total

2,852 km

Roadways

paved

5,349 km

total

51,429 km

unpaved

46,080 km (2001)

Waterways

1,300 km (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

2,964,262 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

3,062,438

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,492,308 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,546,781

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

152,054 (2010 est.)

male

155,476

Military 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) (2012)

Military expenditures

3.63% of GDP (2012)

3.5% of GDP (2011)

3.63% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

20-45 years of age for compulsory male and 18-45 years for voluntary male military service (registration at age 18 is mandatory); 20-45 years of age for voluntary female service; 2-year conscript service obligation; Angolan citizenship required; the Navy (MGA) is entirely staffed with volunteers (2013)

Disputes - international

Democratic Republic of Congo accuses Angola of shifting monuments

Illicit drugs

used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

12,944 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2014)