Country Information on Angola

Terrain Angola is the seventh largest country in Africa. The country is divided into three big geographic zones from the west to the east: the flat coastline, a transitional zone and the vast high plateaus in the centre of the country. Mount Moco is the country's highest elevation with 2,620 m. Most of the rivers have their source in central Angola. The two biggest rivers - Kuanza and Kunene - flow into the Atlantic. Other big rivers are Kwango, flowing north into the Congo, and the Kwando and Kubango both flowing southward into the Okavango Basin in Botswana. Climate Angola has a tropical climate. The hot, rainy season lasts from November to April. The cold Benguela current along the coast of Angola causes moderate temperatures and reduces rainfalls especially in the south. Fauna/Flora Thick tropical rain forests are found in the north and in the Cabinda exclave. To the south the rain forests give way to savannah, lands of mixed trees and grasses, which in turn grade into grasslands in the south and east. Palm trees are found on much of the coast, and sparse desert vegetation grows south of Namibe. Wildlife is as diverse as the vegetation and includes many of the larger African mammals, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, hippopotamuses, zebras, antelopes, lions, and gorillas. Various species of birds and insects may also be found. History/Politics In 1483 the Portuguese came to Angola where they searched for precious metals and established themselves as slave traders with the help of indigenous rulers of various tribes. The Portuguese never succeeded in completely taking over political power, especially in the centre of the country. This was the reason for developing the "regime do indigenato" - a system of economic and political exploitation that remained in force until 1961. In 1951 Angola's official status was changed from colony to overseas province. During the 1950s a nationalist movement grew rapidly, and in 1961 a guerrilla war against the Portuguese was initiated. The independence movement consisted of three rivalling groups. All three had armed forces in the field, but none made much headway until the revolution in Portugal in April 1974. After gaining independence from Portugal in 1975 two governments claimed to represent the new nation, one formed by the MPLA (the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) in Luanda, the other by UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) and FNLA (the National Front for the Liberation of Angola) in Huambo. By early 1976 the MPLA had gained the upper hand, and its government, with MPLA leader Agostinho Neto as president, was gradually recognized throughout the world. Neto died in 1979, and leadership of the nation was assumed by José Eduardo dos Santos. Although the FNLA surrendered to the government in 1984, UNITA continued to wage guerrilla warfare against the MPLA. In August 1988 a peace agreement was reached. President dos Santos called for multiparty elections to be held in September 1992, and a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force maintained order. Savimbi of the UNITA refused to acknowledge the results and resumed warfare. By the end of 1994 an estimated 3.6 million Angolans were war refugees, and 500,000 people had been killed. In 1994 UNITA leaders and government representatives signed a peace accord at Lusaka, Zambia. In May 1996 the government and UNITA agreed to merge their armies and create a unified government. After numerous delays, a unified government was inaugurated in April 1997, with dos Santos remaining as president and UNITA becoming the largest opposition group in parliament. This was considered to be the end of the civil war that had already lasted 22 years. Economy Angola is an economy in disarray because of more than 20 years of nearly continuous warfare. In the eighties and at the beginning of the nineties civil war increased and the agricultural production nearly stopped. 70% of the work force is employed in agriculture. Only about 2.8% of the entire area of Angola is arable land, of which only one sixth is really made use of. Coffee is the most important export product and grows in the northern part of the country. The most important agricultural product for Angola itself is manioc. Other important products are sugar cane, bananas and maize. The production of vegetables, cotton, palm products and sisal is also significant. A problem in this sector is the tse tse fly. In addition, there are still many landmines to be removed, which are a hazard to the people in rural areas. Angola is rich in resources such as crude oil, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, copper, uranium, salt etc. Oil covers 90% of the country's exports. Diamonds represent the second largest export factor. The development of the industrial sector is limited. The most important industrial products are beverages and foodstuffs such as refined sugar, flour, beer, textiles, cement, glas and chemical products. About half of the population are affected by unemployment or insufficient employment. Culture As with most African art, the wooden masks and sculptures of Angola are not merely aesthetic creations. They play an important role in cultural rituals, representing life and death, the passage from childhood to adulthood, the celebration of a new harvest and the marking of the hunting season. Angolan artisans work in wood, bronze, ivory, malachite or ceramic mediums. Each ethno-linguistic group in Angola has its own unique artistic traits. Perhaps the single most famous piece of Angolan art is the Cokwe thinker, a masterpiece of harmony and symmetry of line. The Lunda-Cokwe in the northeastern part of Angola are also known for their superior plastic arts.