Angola:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Angola:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Angola is rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on power. President DOS SANTOS has announced legislative elections will be held in September 2008, with presidential elections planned for sometime in 2009.

Location	Definition Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates	Definition 12 30 S, 18 30 E
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 1,246,700 sq km land: 1,246,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries	Definition total: 5,198 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km
Coastline	Definition 1,600 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Terrain	Definition narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m
Natural resources	Definition petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 97.12% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 800 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 184 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.35 cu km/yr (23%/17%/60%) per capita: 22 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
Environment - current issues	Definition overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo