Angola

Bantu-speaking people settled in the area now called Angola in 6th century A.D.; by the 10th century various Bantu groups had established kingdoms, of which Kongo became the most powerful. From the late-14th to the mid-19th century, a Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. It traded heavily with the Portuguese who, beginning in the 16th century, established coastal colonies and trading posts and introduced Christianity. Angola became a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade conducted by the Portuguese and other European powers -- often in collaboration with local kingdoms, including the Kongo. The Angola area is estimated to have lost as many as 4 million people as a result of the slave trade. The Kingdom of Kongo’s main rival was the Kingdom of Ndongo to its south, whose most famous leader was Nzingha Mbande, the 17th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, who successfully fought off Portuguese encroachment during her nearly 40-year reign. Smaller kingdoms, such as the Matamba and Ngoyo, often came under the control of the Kongo or Ndongo Kingdoms. During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Portugal and other European powers set Angola’s modern borders, but the Portuguese did not fully control large portions of the territory. Portugal gained control of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1888 when Kongo’s King Pedro V sought Portuguese military assistance in exchange for becoming a vassal. After a revolt in 1914, Portugal imposed direct rule over the colony and abolished the Kongo Kingdom.

The Angolan National Revolution began in 1961, and in 1975, Angola won its independence when Portugal’s dictatorship fell, a collapse that occurred in part because of growing discontent over conflict in Angola and other colonies. Angola’s multiple independence movements soon clashed, with the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Agostinho NETO, taking power and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, emerging as its main competitor. After NETO’s death in 1979, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, also of the MPLA, became president. Over time, the Angolan civil war escalated and became a major Cold War conflict, with the Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA and the US and South Africa supporting UNITA. 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. DOS SANTOS did not seek reelection in 2017 and supported Joao LOURENCO’s successful bid to become president. LOURENCO was reelected in 2022. Angola scores low on human development indexes despite using its large oil reserves to rebuild since 2002. 

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

12 30 S, 18 30 E

Africa

about eight times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Texas

1,600 km

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

narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

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

860 sq km (2014)

Rio Zambeze (Zambezi) (shared with Zambia [s], Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Rio Cubango (Okavango) river source (shared with Namibia and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Congo Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda

locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

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

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

Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6%  (2014 est.)

Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)

3.32% (2025 est.)

39.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda

9.292 million LUANDA (capital), 959,000 Lubango, 905,000 Cabinda, 809,000 Benguela, 783,000 Malanje  (2023)

19.4 years (2015/16 est.)

183 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

5.45 children born/woman (2025 est.)

2.68 (2025 est.)

0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

8.2% (2016)

57.2% (2016 est.)

overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion; desertification; deforestation of tropical rainforest from international demand for timber and domestic use as fuel; loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

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

27.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

148.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando, Cubango, Cuanza-Norte, Cuanza-Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Icolo e Bengo, Luanda, Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Moxico Leste, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

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

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

18 years of age; universal

Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE 
Humanist Party of Angola or PHI 
National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA; note - party has two factions
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA (largest opposition party)
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA; note- ruling party in power since 1975
Social Renewal Party or PRS 

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), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem of a five-pointed star inside half a cogwheel, crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

meaning: red stands for liberty and black for the African continent; the emblem symbolizes workers and peasants

giant black sable antelope (Palanca negra gigante)

red, black, yellow

middle-income, oil-dependent African economy; widespread poverty; rising inflation and currency depreciation; seeking diversification through agricultural production; significant corruption in public institutions; major infrastructure investments from China and US; exited OPEC in 2023

$80.397 billion (2024 est.)

cassava, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, tomatoes, pineapples, onions, potatoes, citrus fruits (2023)

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

5% (2024 est.)

15.961 million (2024 est.)

32.3% (2018 est.)

10.1% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

China 40%, India 9%, UAE 6%, Spain 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

crude petroleum, diamonds, natural gas, ships, refined petroleum (2023)

China 19%, Portugal 10%, UAE 7%, India 6%, USA 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, wheat, ships, cars, trucks (2023)

state-owned media dominate; only four privately owned newspapers still exist in print form; state-run Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) is the only outlet to offer programs in local languages such as Bantu; private stations operate in cities, including Catholic Radio Ecclesia, but RNA is the only radio broadcaster with near-national coverage (2023)

.ao

D2

107 (2025)

2 (2025)

Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA)

Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police (2025)

approximately 100,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)

most Angolan military weapons and equipment are of Russian or Soviet-era origin; there are smaller quantities of items originating from such suppliers as China, Brazil, Israel, Italy, South Africa, and the UAE (2025)

20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years for voluntary military service for men; 20-45 years of age for voluntary service for women; 24-month conscript service obligation; the Navy is entirely staffed with volunteers (2025)

the Angolan Armed Forces were created in 1991 under the Bicesse Accords signed between the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA); the current force is responsible for country’s external defense but also has some domestic security responsibilities, such as border protection; it participates in multinational exercises, as well as regional peacekeeping operations, including the deployment of several hundred troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023; in recent years, the military has placed additional emphasis on maritime security and protecting offshore resources (2025)

National Space Program Office (Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional, GGPEN; established 2013) (2025)

has a national space strategy with a focus on capacity-building, developing space infrastructure, investing in domestic space sector, supporting socioeconomic growth, and establishing cooperation agreements with foreign technical and scientific institutions in the space industry; contracts with foreign companies to build and launch satellites; operates satellites; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of France, Portugal, Russia, the US, and other African countries; member of the African Space Agency (2025)

2017 - first communications satellite (AngoSat-1) built, launched, and operated by Russia (satellite failed in 2018)

2022 - second communications satellite (AngoSat-2) with French-built payload, integrated and launched by Russia

2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration

2024 - inaugurated a national maritime coordination and surveillance center and country's first satellite mission control center

2025 - signed financial agreement with France for construction of country’s first high-resolution remote sensing satellite (ANGEO-1)