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Angola Index
A view of Lobito, one of Angola's largest cities
Courtesy Richard J. Hough
Political units in southwestern Africa evolved into
complex
structures long before the arrival of the first Portuguese
traveler, Diogo C o, in 1483. The Bantu-speaking and
Khoisan-
speaking hunters the Portuguese encountered were
descendants of
those who had peopled most of the region for centuries.
Pastoral
and agricultural villages and kingdoms had also arisen in
the
northern and central plateaus. One of the largest of
these, the
Kongo Kingdom, provided the earliest resistance to
Portuguese
domination
(see Kongo Kingdom
, ch. 1). The Bakongo (people
of
Kongo) and their southern neighbors, the Mbundu, used the
advantage
of their large population and centralized organization to
exploit
their weaker neighbors for the European slave trade.
To facilitate nineteenth-century policies emphasizing
the
extraction of mineral and agricultural resources, colonial
officials reorganized villages and designed transportation
routes
to expedite marketing these resources. Colonial policy
also
encouraged interracial marriage but discouraged education
among
Africans, and the resulting racially and culturally
stratified
population included people of mixed ancestry
(mestiços),
educated Angolans (assimilados--see Glossary) who
identified
with Portuguese cultural values, and the majority of the
African
population that remained uneducated and unassimilated
(indígenas--see Glossary). Opportunities for
economic
advancement were apportioned according to racial
stereotypes, and
even in the 1960s schools were admitting barely more than
2 percent
of the school-age African population each year.
Portugal resisted demands for political independence
long after
other European colonial powers had relinquished direct
control of
their African possessions. After unsuccessfully seeking
support
from the United Nations (UN) in 1959, educated Luandans
organized
a number of resistance groups based on ethnic and regional
loyalties. By the mid-1970s, four independence movements
vied with
one another for leadership of the emerging nation
(see African Associations
, ch. 1).
The MPLA, established by mestiços and educated
workers
in Luanda, drew its support from urban areas and the
Mbundu
population that surrounded the capital city. The Union of
Peoples
of Northern Angola (União das Populações do Norte de
Angola --
UPNA) was founded to defend Bakongo interests. The UPNA
soon
dropped its northern emphasis and became the Union of
Angolan
Peoples (União das Populações de Angola -- UPA) in an
attempt to
broaden its ethnic constituency, although it rebuffed
consolidation
attempts by other associations. The UPA, in turn, formed
the
National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente
Nacional de
Libertação de Angola -- FNLA) in 1962, when it merged with
other
northern dissident groups.
A variety of interpretations of Marxist philosophy
emerged
during the 1950s and 1960s, a period when Western nations
refused
to pressure Portugal (a member of the North Atlantic
Treaty
Organization--NATO) to upgrade political life in its
colonies. The
Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista
Português--PCP)
helped organize African students in Lisbon and encouraged
them to
press for independence. A campaign of arrests and forced
exile
crushed most Angolan nationalist leadership, but in
Portugal
underground antifascist groups were gaining strength, and
Angolan
liberation movements flourished. The MPLA established its
headquarters in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo (present-day
Kinshasa,
Zaire), and in 1962, after a period of exile and
imprisonment,
Agostinho Neto became head of the MPLA.
Neto, a physician, poet, and philosopher, strengthened
the
MPLA's left-wing reputation with his rhetorical blend of
socialist
ideology and humanist values. He also led the group in
protests
against enforced cotton cultivation, discriminatory labor
policies,
and colonial rule in general. MPLA and UPA leaders agreed
to
cooperate, but long-standing animosities led members of
these two
groups to sabotage each other's efforts. Within the MPLA,
leadership factions opposed each other on ideological
grounds and
policy issues, but with guidance from the Soviet Union
they
resolved most of their disputes by concentrating power in
their
high command. Soviet military assistance also increased in
response
to the growing commitment to building a socialist state.
In April 1974, the Portuguese army overthrew the regime
in
Lisbon, and its successor began dismantling Portugal's
colonial
empire. In November 1974, Lisbon agreed to grant
independence.
However, after centuries of colonial neglect, Angola's
African
population was poorly prepared for self-government: there
were few
educated or trained leaders and almost none with national
experience. Angola's liberation armies contested control
of the new
nation, and the coalition established by the Alvor
Agreement in
January 1975 quickly disintegrated
(see Coalition, the Transitional Government, and Civil War
, ch. 1).
Events in Angola in 1975 were catastrophic. Major
factors that
contributed to the violence that dogged Angola's political
development for over a decade were the incursions into
northern
Angola by the United States-backed and Zairian-backed
FNLA; an
influx of Cuban advisers and, later, troops providing the
MPLA with
training and combat support; South African incursions in
the south;
UNITA attacks in the east and south, some with direct
troop support
from Pretoria; and dramatic increases in Soviet matériel
and other
assistance to the MPLA. Accounts of the sequence of these
critical
events differed over the next decade and a half, but most
observers
agreed that by the end of 1975 Angola was effectively
embroiled in
a civil war and that growing Soviet, Cuban, South African,
and
United States involvement in that war made peace difficult
to
achieve.
International recognition came slowly to the MPLA,
which
controlled only the northern third of the nation by
December 1975.
A small number of former Portuguese states and Soviet
allies
recognized the regime, and Nigeria led the Organization of
African
Unity (OAU) in granting recognition. The FNLA and UNITA
attempted
unsuccessfully to establish a rival government in the
Angolan town
of Huambo, but no one outside Angola recognized their
regime. By
the end of 1976, Angola was a member of the UN and was
recognized
by most other African states, but its domestic legitimacy
remained
in question.
MPLA leader Neto had avoided ideological labels during
the
struggle for independence, although the MPLA never
concealed the
Marxist bias of some of its members. Neto viewed
Marxist-Leninist
orthodoxy as a means of unifying and organizing Angola's
diverse
society and of establishing agricultural growth as the
basis for
economic development. He also hoped to avoid
disenfranchising urban
workers or encouraging the growth of a rural bourgeoisie,
while
maintaining crucial military support from the Soviet Union
and
Cuba.
One of the MPLA's many slogans, "people's power"
(poder
popular), had won broad support for the group before
independence, especially in Luanda, where neighborhood
self-help
groups were formed to defend residents of poor and
working-class
neighborhoods against armed banditry. This movement was
quickly
curtailed by the police, but people's power remained a
popular
symbol of the demand for political participation. After
independence, despite constitutional guarantees of
people's power,
the slogan became a symbol of unrealized expectations.
President
Neto, despite his democratic ideals, quickly developed an
autocratic governing style. He introduced austerity
measures and
productivity campaigns and countered the resulting popular
discontent with an array of security and intelligence
operations.
Industrial workers, who were among the first to
organize for
people's power, found their newly formed unions absorbed
into the
MPLA-controlled National Union of Angolan Workers (União
Nacional
dos Trabalhadores Angolanos--UNTA), and the party began to
absorb
other popular organizations into the party structure.
Students,
laborers, and peasant farmers agitated against what they
perceived
as a mestiço-dominated political elite, and this
resentment,
even within the ranks of the MPLA itself, culminated in an
abortive
coup attempt led by the former minister of interior, Nito
Alves, in
May 1977.
In the aftermath of the 1977 Nitista coup attempt, the
MPLA
redefined the rules for party membership. After the First
Party
Congress in December 1977 affirmed the Central Committee's
decision
to proclaim its allegiance to Marxist-Leninist ideals, the
MPLA
officially became a "workers' party" and added "-PT" (for
"Partido
de Trabalho") to its acronym. In 1978 its leaders began a
purge of
party cadres, announcing a "rectification campaign" to
correct
policies that had allowed the Nitista factions and other
"demagogic" tendencies to develop. The MPLA-PT reduced its
numbers
from more than 100,000 to about 31,000, dropping members
the party
perceived as lacking dedication to the socialist
revolution. Most
of those purged were farmers or educated mestiços,
especially those whose attitudes were considered "petit
bourgeois."
Urban workers, in contrast to rural peasants, were
admitted to the
MPLA-PT in fairly large numbers.
By the end of the 1970s, the ruling party was smaller,
more
unified, and more powerful, but it had lost standing in
rural
areas, and its strongest support still came from those it
was
attempting to purge--educated mestiços and
assimilados. Progress was hampered by losses in
membership,
trade, and resources resulting from emigration and nearly
two
decades of warfare. The MPLA-PT attempted to impose
austerity
measures to cope with these losses, but in the bitter
atmosphere
engendered by the purges of the late 1970s, these policies
further
damaged MPLA-PT legitimacy. Pursuing the socialist
revolution was
not particularly important in non-Mbundu rural areas, in
part
because of the persistent impression that mestiços
dominated
the governing elite. National politicians claimed economic
privilege and allowed corruption to flourish in state
institutions,
adding to the challenges faced by dos Santos, who became
MPLA-PT
leader in 1979.
Data as of February 1989
- Angola-Roots of Discontent
- Angola-Mestiços
- Angola-LABOR FORCE
- Angola-Food Crops and Livestock
- Angola-War and the Military in National Perspective
- Angola-Interest Groups
- Angola-NATIONAL SECURITY
- Angola-Foreign Trade
- Angola-Relations with Other African States
- Angola-Policies Affecting Rural Society
- Angola-The National Front for the Liberation of Angola
- Angola-Conditions after Independence
- Angola-FOREIGN TRADE AND ASSISTANCE
- Angola-Troop Strength, Recruitment, and Conscription
- Angola-Beginning of Revolution
- Angola-Military Campaigns
- Angola-BACKGROUND
- Angola-Mbundu Social Structure
- Angola-Conditions Before Independence EDUCATION
- Angola-The Development of FAPLA
- Angola-INDEPENDENCE AND THE RISE OF THE MPLA GOVERNMENT
- Angola-Ethnolinguistic Categories
- Angola-Portuguese Economic Interests and Resistance to Angolan Independence
- Angola-EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES
- Angola-Postindependence Exploration and Production
- Angola-Internal Security Forces and Organization
- Angola-Indigenous Religious Systems
- Angola-Incidence and Trends in Crime
- Angola-Timber
- Angola-AGRICULTURE
- Angola-Central Committee
- Angola-Air and Air Defense Force
- Angola-Administration and Development
- Angola-Kongo Kingdom
- Angola-THE DOS SANTOS REGIME
- Angola-Marketing
- Angola-Matamba and Kasanje Kingdoms
- Angola-Traditional Elites
- Angola-Role of Women and Children
- Angola-ANGOLA
- Angola-The Early Nineteenth Century THE 1800s: TURMOIL IN PORTUGAL, REFORM AND EXPANSION IN ANGOLA
- Angola-Political Bureau
- Angola-Military Organization and Capability
- Angola-Drainage
- Angola-POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
- Angola-Shaba Invasion and the Nitista Plot
- Angola-Armed Forces Organization and Mission
- Angola-The Costs of Endemic Conflict WAR AND THE ROLE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN SOCIETY
- Angola-Heavy Industry
- Angola-Civic Action and Veterans' Groups
- Angola -COUNTRY PROFILE
- Angola
- Angola-The Demographic Situation SETTLEMENT, CONQUEST, AND DEVELOPMENT
- Angola-South African Intervention
- Angola-Defense and Security Council
- Angola-Slave Trading in the 1700s ANGOLA IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
- Angola-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- Angola-Training
- Angola-STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY
- Angola-RISE OF AFRICAN NATIONALISM
- Angola-Chapter 5 - National Security
- Angola-The Defeat of Kongo and Ndongo
- Angola-Operations
- Angola-Policy Making FOREIGN RELATIONS
- Angola-ANGOLAN INSURGENCY
- Angola-Ascendancy of the MPLA
- Angola-National Union of Angolan Workers
- Angola-The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
- Angola-Ovambo, Nyaneka-Humbe, Herero, and Others
- Angola-Organizational Weaknesses
- Angola-Foreign Auxiliary Forces
- Angola-Railroads
- Angola-Regional Politics
- Angola-Transformation into a Marxist-Leninist Party and Internal Dissent
- Angola-External Support
- Angola-Constitutional and Political Context ARMED FORCES
- Angola-Antigovernment Opposition
- Angola-Strengthening Ties with the Soviet Union and Its Allies
- Angola-ECONOMY
- Angola-TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Angola-Council of Ministers
- Angola-Christianity
- Angola-Religious Communities
- Angola-Social Structure in Rural Communities
- Angola-Chapter - 1 - Historical Setting
- Angola-Background EVOLUTION OF THE ARMED FORCES
- Angola-PREFACE
- Angola-Steps Toward a Stronger Party and Political Discord
- Angola-Effects of the Insurgency
- Angola-Other Minerals
- Angola-Prison System
- Angola-FAPLA's Combat Performance
- Angola-Collapse of the Transitional Government
- Angola-Foreign Assistance
- Angola-Human Rights
- Angola-POPULATION STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS
- Angola-The Constitution STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
- Angola-INTERNAL SECURITY
- Angola-Emergence of UNITA
- Angola-Salazar's Racial Politics
- Angola-Criminal Justice System CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
- Angola-Chapter 2 - The Society and Its Environment
- Angola-Diamonds
- Angola-Communist Nations
- Angola-Independence Struggle, Civil War, and Intervention
- Angola-SOCIETY
- Angola-Angola as a Refuge
- Angola-Ground Forces
- Angola-Electric Power
- Angola-Ports
- Angola-Party Congress
- Angola-Light Industry
- Angola-Regional Organization
- Angola-Judicial System
- Angola-Navy
- Angola-Terrain
- Angola-STRUCTURE OF THE ECONOMY
- Angola-ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT
- Angola
- Angola-Telecommunications
- Angola-Second Party Congress
- Angola-The Enduring Rival: UNITA
- Angola-Construction Materials
- Angola-Noncommunist Nations
- Angola-The Dutch Interregnum, 1641-48
- Angola-The Namibia Issue and Security Threats in the 1980s
- Angola-Roads TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Angola-Fishing
- Angola-Food Processing
- Angola-Nganguela
- Angola-Abolition of the Slave Trade
- Angola-United States and Western Europe
- Angola
- Angola
- Angola-Liberation Movements in Cabinda
- Angola-Local Administration
- Angola-INDUSTRY
- Angola-Ovimbundu
- Angola
- Angola-ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Angola-Regional Accord
- Angola-Angola under the New State ANGOLA UNDER THE SALAZAR REGIME
- Angola-Hunters, Gatherers, Herders, and Others
- Angola-Conditions of Service, Ranks, and Military Justice
- Angola-Effects of Socialist Policies
- Angola-Social Structure in Urban Areas
- Angola-Finances
- Angola-GEOGRAPHY
- Angola-Ovimbundu Social Structure
- Angola-Balance of Trade and Payments BALANCE OF PAYMENTS, FINANCES, AND FOREIGN DEBT
- Angola-Education in UNITA-Claimed Territory
- Angola-Foreword
- Angola-Mbundu
- Angola-Foreign Debt
- Angola-Mass Organizations MASS ORGANIZATIONS AND INTEREST GROUPS
- Angola-Ndongo Kingdom
- Angola-Oil
- Angola-ETHNIC GROUPS AND LANGUAGES
- Angola-Executive Branch
- Angola-MASS MEDIA
- Angola-Foreign Intervention
- Angola-Legislative Branch
- Angola-RELIGIOUS LIFE
- Angola-PRECOLONIAL ANGOLA AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE
- Angola-Climate
- Angola-Lunda-Chokwe
- Angola-Air Transport
- Angola-Policies Affecting Urban Society
- Angola-Erstwhile Opposition: FLEC and the FNLA
- Angola-The Definition of Ethnicity
- Angola-Structure
- Angola
- Angola-Iron Ore
- Angola-Chapter 3 - The Economy
- Angola-HEALTH AND WELFARE
- Angola-Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Youth Movement
- Angola-NATIONAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT
- Angola-Portuguese Settlers in Angola
- Angola-Organization of Angolan Women
- Angola-Coffee
- Angola-Lunda and Chokwe Kingdoms
- Angola-Economic Problems and the Implementation of Socialist Policies
- Angola-BACKGROUND TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Angola-The Final Days of the Neto Regime
- Angola
- Angola-INTRODUCTION
- Angola
- Angola-Background POPULAR MOVEMENT FOR THE LIBERATION OF ANGOLA-WORKERS' PARTY
- Angola-PHYSICAL SETTING
- Angola-Ovimbundu and Kwanhama Kingdoms
- Angola-COALITION, THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT, AND CIVIL WAR
- Angola-Chapter 4 - Government and Politics
Background | | 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 made a presidential poll contingent on the drafting of a new constitution.
|
Location | | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 1,246,700 sq km land: 1,246,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
|
Geographic coordinates | | 12 30 S, 18 30 E
|
Land boundaries(km) | | 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(km) | | 1,600 km
|
Climate | | semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | 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: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 97.12% (2005)
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 800 sq km (2003)
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 184 cu km (1987)
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 0.35 cu km/yr (23%/17%/60%) per capita: 22 cu m/yr (2000)
|
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 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
|
Population | | 12,799,293 (July 2009 est.)
|
Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,812,359/female 2,759,047) 15-64 years: 53.7% (male 3,496,726/female 3,382,440) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 153,678/female 195,043) (2009 est.)
|
Median age(years) | | total: 18 years male: 18 years female: 18 years (2009 est.)
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 2.095% (2009 est.)
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 43.69 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 24.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 1.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 57% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | 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 (2009 est.)
|
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 180.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 192.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 167.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 38.2 years male: 37.24 years female: 39.22 years (2009 est.)
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 6.12 children born/woman (2009 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
|
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; multiparty presidential regime
|
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
|
Constitution | | adopted by People's Assembly 25 August 1992
|
Legal system | | based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
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); Antonio Paulo KASSOMA was named prime minister by MPLA on 26 September 2008 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by universal ballot for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under the 1992 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 29-30 September 1992 (next were to be held in September 2009 but have been 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 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 | | Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are appointed by the president)
|
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, ICCt (signatory), 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
|
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
|
Economy - overview | | Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, which has taken advantage of high international oil prices. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007. 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. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit, since increased to $7 billion, from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. Angola also has large credit lines from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 13% in 2008, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. 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, somewhat less than the 2-2.5 million bbl Angola's government had wanted. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms, increase transparency, and reduce corruption. The government has rejected a formal IMF monitored program, although it continues Article IV consultations and ad hoc cooperation. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, and the negative effects of large inflows of foreign exchange, are major challenges facing Angola.
|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $112.8 billion (2008 est.) $100.5 billion (2007 est.) $82.94 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $84.95 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 12.3% (2008 est.) 21.1% (2007 est.) 18.6% (2006 est.)
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $9,000 (2008 est.) $8,200 (2007 est.) $6,900 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 9.2% industry: 65.8% services: 24.6% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 7.569 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 85% industry and services: 15% (2003 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | NA
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 40.5% (2006 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 9% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $28.99 billion expenditures: $21.44 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 12.5% (2008 est.) 12.2% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $8.446 billion (31 December 2008) $4.153 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $10.41 billion (31 December 2008) $7.216 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $7.893 billion (31 December 2008) $1.166 billion (31 December 2007)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $441.8 million (2005)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 15.5% of GDP (2008 est.) 12% of GDP (2007 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish
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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
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 14.3% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $17.11 billion (2008 est.) $9.402 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $66.3 billion (2008 est.) $44.4 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton
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Exports - partners(%) | | China 33%, US 28.7%, France 6%, South Africa 4.6%, Canada 4.1% (2008)
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Imports | | $17.08 billion (2008 est.) $13.66 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods
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Imports - partners(%) | | Portugal 17.6%, China 15.7%, US 11.3%, Brazil 7.6%, South Korea 6.8%, South Africa 4.8% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $18.36 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $11.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $14.09 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $8.357 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $16.36 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $14.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $2.477 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Exchange rates | | kwanza (AOA) per US dollar - 75.023 (2008 est.), 76.6 (2007), 80.4 (2006), 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | kwanza (AOA)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 114,300 (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 6.773 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: system inadequate; fewer than one fixed-line per 100 persons; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density exceeded 50 telephones per 100 persons in 2008 domestic: 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; 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 (2008)
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Internet country code | | .ao
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Internet users | | 550,000 (2008)
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Airports | | 192 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 2 km; oil 87 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 51,429 km paved: 5,349 km unpaved: 46,080 km (2001)
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Ports and terminals | | Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe
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Military branches | | Angolan Armed Forces (FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 22-24 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; Angolan citizenship required (2009)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 2,856,492 females age 16-49: 2,755,864 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,467,833 females age 16-49: 1,411,468 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 146,738 female: 143,478 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 5.7% of GDP (2006)
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Disputes - international | | Cabindan separatists continue to return to the Angolan exclave from exile in neighboring states and Europe since the 2006 ceasefire and peace agreement
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Refugees 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)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 3.722 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 36.4% hydro: 63.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 3.173 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 2.015 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 64,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 1.407 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 28,090 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 9.04 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 680 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 680 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 269.8 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 2.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 190,000 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | 11,000 (2007 est.)
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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)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.4% male: 82.9% female: 54.2% (2001 est.)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.4% of GDP (2005)
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