Angola Location : Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Capital City : Luanda
Curreny : kwanza (AOA)
Languages Spoken : Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Climate : semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
National Holiday : Independence Day, 11 November (1975)
Background Information
Civil war has been the norm in Angola since independence from Portugal in 1975. A 1994 peace accord between the government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) provided for the integration of former UNITA insurgents into the government and armed forces. A national unity government was installed in April of 1997, but serious fighting resumed in late 1998, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost in fighting over the past quarter century. The death of Jonas SAVIMBI and a cease fire with UNITA may bode well for the country.
Geographical Note
Cabinda is separated from rest of country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Economy
Angola is an economy in disarray because of a quarter century of nearly continuous warfare. 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 90% of exports. Violence continues, millions of land mines remain, and many farmers are reluctant to return to their fields. As a result, 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 end its conflict and continue reforming government policies. Internal strife discourages investment outside of the petroleum sector, which is producing roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day. While Angola made progress in bringing inflation down further, from over 300% in 2000 to about 110% in 2001, 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. Angola's GDP could be among the world's fastest growing in 2002 if oil production from the Girassol field, which began production in December 2001, reaches 200,000 barrels per day as expected.
Religions
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)
Ports : Ambriz, Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Malongo, Mocamedes, Namibe, Porto Amboim, Soyo
International Disputes - Risks to travellers
: none
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