Angola's Land: Acres Of Abundance

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country in southwestern Africa with a total land area of 1,246,700 square kilometres (481,354 square miles). It is the 22nd largest country in the world and the seventh-largest country in Africa. Angola is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the north and northeast, the Republic of Congo to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country has a coastline of 1,610 kilometres (1,000 miles) on the South Atlantic Ocean.

Angola's diamond production

Angola is a country on the west-central coast of Southern Africa. It is the world's 22nd largest country by area, covering 1,246,700 square kilometres.

Angola is one of the most resource-rich countries in Africa. It is the fourth-largest producer of diamonds in the world by value and is among the world's largest diamond producers by volume. In 2022, Angola's diamond production amounted to 8.8 million carats, an increase of 1.1% on the previous year.

Diamond production is one of Angola's main sources of wealth. According to the African Diamond Council, the diamond industry in Angola represents nearly 1.2 billion euros in annual production. Angola is the world's sixth-biggest diamond producer and third on the African continent.

Angola is creating a new diamond development hub in the mining province of Lunda Sul, which will bring together all the actors working in the diamond industry, both public and private. The hub will include diamond polishing factories, offices, and a specialist training centre. The aim is to increase the diamond value chain and add value to the industry by starting diamond polishing in the country. Angola aims to transform around 20% of its diamond production in the country.

Angola has vast mineral and petroleum reserves. Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic, and its economy is among the fastest-growing in the world. However, economic growth is highly uneven, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population.

Angola's diamond mines include partnerships between state-run Endiama and mining companies such as ALROSA, which operate in the country.

Angola's oil industry

Angola is the second-largest oil producer in Africa and has been heavily influenced by its oil sector. Oil production and supporting activities are vital to the economy, contributing about 45% of GDP and 90% of exports. Angola first produced oil from the Benfica oilfield in the Cuanza Basin in 1955, and by 1960, the Angolan economy had been completely transformed, with a successful commercial agricultural sector, a promising mineral and petroleum production enterprise, and an incipient manufacturing industry.

However, the war for independence from Portugal (1961-1975) and the subsequent civil war (1975-2002) severely disrupted the country's economy. By 1976, more than 80% of agricultural plantations had been abandoned by their Portuguese owners, factories closed, and skilled workers had left the country. The petroleum sector continued to operate successfully, and by 1980, it had helped the gross domestic product reach US$3.6 billion.

Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic, and its economy is among the fastest-growing in the world. The government has prioritised repairing and improving infrastructure and strengthening political and social institutions. Efforts have been made to incentivise investments and reverse declining production, resulting in fresh investments by international oil companies. Chevron Corporation, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Eni, and BP all operate in the country and represent the vast majority of daily production. Block 17, operated by TotalEnergies, is Angola's biggest producing asset.

Despite these developments, Angola continues to face significant challenges. The country is heavily dependent on the oil sector, which accounted for over 90% of exports by value and 64% of government revenue in 2017. With the end of the oil boom, Angola entered a period of economic contraction from 2015. The country also has a low standard of living, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population.

Angola's geography and climate

Angola is located on the western coast of Southern Africa. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-east, the Republic of the Congo to the north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country has a total land size of 1,246,700 square kilometres (481,400 square miles), making it the 22nd largest country in the world.

Angola's geography is characterised by a diverse range of landscapes, including a semi-desert Atlantic littoral bordering Namibia's "Skeleton Coast", a sparsely populated rainforest interior, rugged highlands in the south, and the densely populated towns and cities of the northern coast and north-central river valleys. The coastal plain, extending inland from 31 to 99 miles (50 to 160 kilometres), is arid and sparsely watered. Inland and parallel to the coast lies a belt of hills and mountains, behind which sits a large plateau. The highest point in Angola is Morro de Môco, at 2,620 metres (8,600 feet).

The country can be divided into four principal natural regions: the arid coastal lowland, stretching from Namibia to Luanda; green hills and mountains, rising inland from the coast into a great escarpment; a large area of high inland plains of dry savanna, called the high plateau (planalto); and rainforests in the north and in the Cabinda exclave. The Zambezi River and several tributaries of the Congo River have their sources in Angola, and the country is home to numerous other rivers, including the Cuanza and the Cunene.

Angola has a tropical climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season, known for its hot and humid weather, lasts from October to May, with the dry season, or "cacimbo", occurring from June to September. The coolest months are July and August, when frost may form at higher altitudes. The climate is heavily influenced by the seasonal movements of the rain-bearing intertropical convergence zone and the northward flow of the Benguela Cold Current. Temperatures are generally warm to hot all year round, with the north experiencing the highest temperatures and the south-west the lowest.

Angola's population and demographics

Angola's population is estimated to be around 37.2 million as of 2023. The country is multicultural and multiethnic, with the population made up of various ethnic groups, each speaking a Bantu language. The Ovimbundu, Ambundu, and Bakongo are the three largest ethnic groups, comprising 37%, 25%, and 13% of the population, respectively. Other significant groups include the Chokwe, Lunda, Ganguela, Nyaneka-Khumbi, Ovambo, Herero, and Xindonga. Additionally, there are around 7% of mixed-race individuals (European and African), with 1% of the population being white, primarily of Portuguese ethnicity.

Angola has a low standard of living, with life expectancy among the lowest in the world and high infant mortality rates. The population is largely Christian, with Catholicism being the largest denomination, followed by traditional forms of Protestantism. Literacy rates are relatively low, with around 71% of the population over the age of 15 able to read and write in Portuguese. Portuguese is the official language, but Bantu and other African languages are also widely spoken.

Angola has a high total fertility rate, with women having an average of 5.76 children. The population is growing annually by around 3.5%, and the median age is approximately 16 years. Despite economic growth, Angola continues to face socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, high maternal and child mortality rates, and illiteracy.

Angola's history and politics

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-central coast of Southern Africa. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa and the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in the world in terms of both total area and population. Angola has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age and its formation as a nation-state originates from the Kingdom of Kongo, which was the hegemonic state of a number of other Kikongo-speaking kingdoms that flourished in and after the 14th century.

History

The Portuguese first landed in what is today northern Angola in 1482, encountering the Kingdom of the Congo. The Portuguese gradually took control of the coastal area by a series of treaties and wars throughout the 16th century, and their interest in Angola quickly turned to the slave trade. By the 19th century, Angola was the largest source of slaves for the Americas.

Portugal secured administrative control over the interior of Angola in the early 20th century, and the colony achieved its present borders in the early 1900s. There had been strong resistance by native groups such as the Cuamato, the Kwanyama, and the Mbunda.

After a protracted anti-colonial struggle (1961-1974), Angola achieved independence in 1975 as a one-party Republic. However, competing movements still struggled for power in the new nation, and the country descended into a devastating civil war the same year. The war was fought between the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba; the insurgent National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), an originally Maoist and later anti-communist group supported by the United States and South Africa; and the militant organization National Liberation Front of Angola, backed by Zaire.

The MPLA stayed in power and the civil war ended in 2002. Since then, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic.

Politics

Angola's government is composed of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The country's current political regime is presidentialism, in which the President of the Republic is also the head of state and government. The President is advised by a Council of Ministers, which together with the President form the national executive power. Legislative power rests with the 220 parliamentarians elected to the National Assembly.

Angola's politics take place within a framework of a presidential republic and a multi-party system. Since 2017, the country has been led by President João Lourenço, the chosen successor of José Eduardo dos Santos, who stepped down after 38 years in power. Since taking office, Lourenço has made fighting corruption his flagship programme, with many individuals from the previous administration now jailed or awaiting trial.

Angola's 2010 constitution grants the President almost absolute power. The President is automatically the leader of the winning party or coalition and is responsible for appointing or dismissing members of the government, the judiciary, the military, and various other bodies.

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