Angola
Name
| Official name | Republic of Angola |
|---|---|
| In Portuguese | República de Angola |
| Former name | People's Republic of Angola (1975–1992) |
| Demonym | Angolan |
| Meaning of the name | From Ngola, the title of the kings of Ndongo, the state the Portuguese encountered in the 1500s |
Quick facts
| Capital | Luanda — also the largest city, on the Atlantic coast; founded 1576 |
|---|---|
| Official language | Portuguese; Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, Nganguela and Kwanyama are recognized national languages |
| Currency | Kwanza — ISO code AOA, symbol Kz; named for the Kwanza River; issued by the Banco Nacional de Angola |
| Time zone | West Africa Time, UTC+1, all year |
| Calling code | +244 |
| Internet domain | .ao |
| ISO 3166 codes | AO · AGO · 024 |
| Vehicle registration code | ANG |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 220 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F |
| Independence | 11 November 1975, from Portugal |
| National day | 11 November, Independence Day; 4 February, the Day of the Armed Struggle (1961); 17 September, the day of Agostinho Neto |
| Constitution | The Constitution of 2010, in force from 5 February 2010 |
| Population | 36.6 million by the census of 2024; about 39 million by the UN and CIA World Factbook estimates for 2025 — half of them under 18 |
| Area | 1,246,700 km² (481,400 sq mi) — the seventh largest country in Africa, 22nd in the world; about twice the size of Texas |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | Red over black, charged with a yellow machete, half cogwheel and five-pointed star — the MPLA's liberation banner, adopted at independence on 11 November 1975; its design and its meaning are written into the Constitution.Flag of Angola |
|---|---|
| National emblem | The machete, cogwheel and star of the flag over a rising sun, ringed by maize, coffee and cotton, with an open book and a hoe — adopted 1975, defined in the Constitution |
| National anthem | "Angola Avante" ("Forward, Angola") — words by Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro, music by Rui Alberto Vieira Dias Mingão; adopted 1975 |
| National motto | Virtus Unita Fortior — "strength united is stronger" |
| National colors | Red, black and yellow |
| National animal | The giant sable antelope (palanca negra gigante), found only in Angola and thought extinct until it was rediscovered after the civil war — the symbol the state itself uses; the national football team is the Palancas Negras |
| National bird | Red-crested turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus), found only in Angola — widely cited |
| National plant | Welwitschia mirabilis, the two-leaved desert plant of the Namib that can live more than a thousand years — widely cited |
| National dish | Muamba de galinha, chicken in palm-oil sauce with okra, eaten with funge (cassava or maize porridge) — widely cited |
| National sport | Football; basketball is the other national passion — Angola has won the African championship eleven times |
| Symbol status | The flag, emblem, anthem and motto are fixed by the Constitution; the giant sable is the state's own emblem; the bird, plant and dish are widely cited, not designated |
Geography
| Location | Southwestern Africa on the South Atlantic, between Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the exclave of Cabinda to the north |
|---|---|
| Coastline | 1,600 km (994 mi) on the Atlantic |
| Land borders | 5,369 km (3,336 mi) with four countries |
| Border with the DR Congo | 2,646 km (1,644 mi), of which 225 km belong to Cabinda |
| Border with Namibia | 1,427 km (887 mi) |
| Border with Zambia | 1,065 km (662 mi) |
| Border with the Republic of the Congo | 231 km (144 mi), around Cabinda |
| Cabinda | An exclave of 7,270 km² (2,810 sq mi) north of the Congo River mouth, separated from the rest of Angola by a strip of the DR Congo; the source of much of the country's oil |
| Highest point | Mount Moco (Morro do Moco), 2,620 m (8,600 ft), in Huambo province |
| Lowest point | The Atlantic Ocean, 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 1,112 m (3,650 ft) — a narrow coastal plain rising abruptly to a vast interior plateau |
| Longest river | The Kwanza (Cuanza), about 960 km (600 mi) — the longest entirely within Angola, reaching the Atlantic south of Luanda |
| Other rivers | The Congo along the northern border; the Zambezi and the Cubango (Okavango) rising or crossing in the east and south; the Cunene on the Namibian border; the Kwango and the Cuando |
| Largest lake | Lake Dilolo in the east; the Calueque and Capanda reservoirs are larger |
| Waterfalls | Kalandula Falls on the Lucala River — about 105 m (344 ft) high and 400 m (1,300 ft) wide, among the largest in Africa by volume; the Ruacana Falls on the Cunene |
| Mountain ranges | The Bié plateau in the center; the Serra da Chela and Serra da Leba in the southwest; the Tundavala escarpment above Lubango |
| Deserts | The northern end of the Namib, in Iona National Park — the home of the Welwitschia |
| Climate | Semi-arid in the south and along the coast to Luanda; the north has a cool dry season (May–October) and a hot rainy season (November–April) |
| Natural hazards | Heavy rains and flooding; drought in the south |
| Natural resources | Petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium |
| Land use | Agricultural land 45.7%, arable 3.9%; forest 54.3% (2018 est.) |
| National parks | Iona (the largest, in the Namib), Quiçama (Kissama) near Luanda, Cangandala (the giant sable), Bicuar, Cameia, Mupa, Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga in the southeast |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 1 — Mbanza Kongo, the capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo (2017) |
| Provinces | 21 since September 2024, when Cuando, Icolo e Bengo and Moxico Leste were carved from the earlier 18 |
People
| Population | 36.6 million (census of 2024); about 39 million (UN and CIA World Factbook estimates, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 29 per km² (76 per sq mi); most people live in the western third |
| Population growth | About 3.3% a year — among the fastest in the world |
| Median age | About 16 years — one of the youngest populations on Earth; half of Angolans are under 18 |
| Life expectancy | About 63 years (2023) |
| Fertility rate | About 5 births per woman (2023) |
| Urban population | About 69% |
| Adult literacy | About 72% (2022 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Ovimbundu 37%, Ambundu (Kimbundu) 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestiço 2%, European 1%, others (2014 census) |
| Languages | Portuguese, spoken by about 70% at home; Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, Nganguela, Kwanyama |
| Religion | Christian about 93% — Roman Catholic 41%, Protestant 38% (2014 census) |
| Largest cities | Luanda, Lubango, Huambo, Benguela, Cabinda, Malanje, Lobito |
| Human Development Index | 0.616 (2023 data, 2025 report) — medium human development |
| Poverty | About a third of the population below the national poverty line (2018 survey) |
Government
| Form of government | Unitary presidential republic under the Constitution of 2010 |
|---|---|
| President | João Lourenço, since 26 September 2017; re-elected August 2022 for a second and final five-year term |
| Vice President | Esperança da Costa, since 2022 |
| Parliament | The National Assembly, unicameral, 220 seats; the leader of the winning party becomes President |
| Ruling party | The MPLA — the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola — in power since independence in 1975 |
| Legal system | Civil law, on the Portuguese model; a Constitutional Court |
| Administrative divisions | 21 provinces |
| United Nations | Member since 1 December 1976; a non-permanent Security Council seat in 2015–16 |
| African Union | Member; João Lourenço was the AU's chairperson for 2025 |
| OPEC | Member from 2007 until it withdrew, effective 1 January 2024, over production quotas |
| Other memberships | SADC, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), ECCAS, the Gulf of Guinea Commission, the WTO (1996) |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$113 billion (2025, IMF); the dollar figure swings with the kwanza — the World Bank put 2024 at about US$80 billion |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$2,900 (2025, IMF) |
| GDP growth | About 3.1% (2025, World Bank) |
| Economy by sector | Industry (oil above all) about 45%, services about 40%, agriculture about 15% (2023) |
| Oil | About 20% of GDP, 60% of government revenue and 95% of exports (World Bank); the second largest producer in sub-Saharan Africa; Sonangol the state company |
| Diamonds | Among the world's leading producers by value; the Catoca mine in Lunda Sul is one of the largest in the world |
| Currency | Kwanza (AOA) |
| Exports | About US$37 billion (2023) — crude oil, natural gas, diamonds |
| Export partners | China about 40%, the European Union 22%, India 9%, the United Arab Emirates 6% (2023) |
| Imports | About US$24 billion (2023) — refined fuel, wheat, vehicles, poultry, palm oil; from the EU, China, the UAE, India, Brazil |
| Inflation | High — about 16% at the end of 2025, down from 28% in 2024 |
| Income classification | Lower-middle income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, Luanda — the new airport opened in 2024, replacing Quatro de Fevereiro |
|---|---|
| Airline | TAAG Angola Airlines, the flag carrier |
| Main ports | Luanda; Lobito; Namibe; Cabinda; Soyo for oil |
| Benguela Railway | Lobito to Luau on the DR Congo border, 1,344 km (835 mi) — rebuilt after the war; now the spine of the Lobito Corridor to the copper belt of the DR Congo and Zambia |
| Other railways | The Luanda railway inland to Malanje; the Moçâmedes railway from Namibe to Menongue |
| Roads | About 76,000 km (47,000 mi); the coastal road and the plateau highways rebuilt since 2002 |
| Border crossings | Santa Clara–Oshikango to Namibia; Luau to the DR Congo; Luvo to the DR Congo in the north |
History in dates
| c. 1390 | The Kingdom of Kongo is founded, with its capital at Mbanza Kongo |
|---|---|
| 1483 | The Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão reaches the mouth of the Congo |
| 1576 | Luanda founded |
| 1836 | Portugal abolishes the slave trade from Angola, the largest source of enslaved people for Brazil |
| 1884–85 | The Berlin Conference fixes Angola's borders, Cabinda included |
| 1961 | The armed struggle begins, 4 February |
| 1975 | Independence, 11 November; the civil war begins |
| 1992 | The People's Republic becomes the Republic of Angola |
| 2002 | Jonas Savimbi killed; the civil war ends after 27 years |
| 2010 | The new Constitution |
| 2017 | João Lourenço succeeds José Eduardo dos Santos after 38 years |
| 2024 | Angola leaves OPEC, 1 January; the census counts 36.6 million; the provinces become 21 |
Records & firsts
| Africa's longest civil war | 1975–2002, 27 years |
|---|---|
| The giant sable | Found nowhere else on Earth; feared extinct for decades, confirmed alive in 2004 |
| The Welwitschia | The Namib's two-leaved plant, living more than a thousand years |
| Kalandula Falls | Among the largest waterfalls in Africa by volume — about 105 m (344 ft) high and 400 m (1,300 ft) wide |
| Sub-Saharan Africa's second oil producer | After Nigeria |
| Catoca | One of the largest diamond mines in the world |
| Basketball | Eleven African championships, more than any other nation |
| Luanda | Ranked for years among the most expensive cities in the world for expatriates |
| The Lobito Corridor | The rebuilt Benguela railway — the shortest route from the Central African copper belt to the sea |
| Cabinda | One of the world's few exclaves, holding a large share of the national oil |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Angola?
The Republic of Angola — República de Angola in Portuguese, the official language. From independence in 1975 until 1992 it was the People’s Republic of Angola. The name comes from Ngola, the title of the rulers of the Ndongo kingdom the Portuguese met in the 16th century.
What is the capital of Angola?
Luanda, on the Atlantic coast, founded by the Portuguese in 1576 — the largest city by far, with a metropolitan population of several million, and the country’s port, oil and financial center.
How big is Angola, and how many people live there?
About 1,246,700 km² (481,400 sq mi) — the seventh largest country in Africa and 22nd in the world. The 2024 census counted 36.6 million people; the UN and the CIA World Factbook estimate about 39 million for 2025. Half the population is under 18.
What are the highest and lowest points of Angola?
Mount Moco (Morro do Moco), 2,620 m (8,600 ft), in Huambo province on the central plateau, is the highest point; the Atlantic coast is the lowest. The mean elevation is 1,112 m (3,650 ft) — most of Angola is high plateau behind a narrow coastal plain.
What is the longest river in Angola?
The Kwanza (Cuanza), about 960 km (600 mi), the longest river entirely within the country and the source of the currency’s name; it drops over the Kalandula Falls region’s neighbor, the Cambambe dam, on its way to the Atlantic south of Luanda. The Zambezi, Cubango (Okavango) and Cunene rise in or cross Angola, and the Congo forms part of the northern border.
What are the national symbols of Angola?
The red-and-black flag with the machete, cogwheel and star, the national emblem, the anthem "Angola Avante" and the motto Virtus Unita Fortior are set by the Constitution. The giant sable antelope — the palanca negra gigante — is the national animal the state itself uses; the red-crested turaco as national bird, the Welwitschia as national plant and muamba de galinha as national dish are widely cited rather than designated.
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