Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country located on the west-central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Lusophone nation by area and population and the seventh-largest country in Africa. Angola shares borders with Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and it has a western coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. The country also includes the exclave province of Cabinda, bordering both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital and largest city is Luanda.
In 1925, American naturalist explorer Arthur Stannard Vernay conducted an expedition to Angola.
In 1939, the Portuguese army initiated operations against the Mucubal people, accusing them of rebellion and cattle-thieving. This resulted in numerous deaths and imprisonments.
By 1943, the Portuguese army's operations against the Mucubal continued, resulting in hundreds killed, and many imprisoned in concentration camps, with hundreds being sent to Sao Tome and Principe. Many died in captivity from undernourishment, violence and forced labor.
Since 1951, Angola's annual average temperature has increased by 1.4°C.
In October 1961, the MPLA attempted to move its headquarters from Conakry to Léopoldville, renewing efforts to create a common front with the UPA and its leader Holden Roberto. Roberto turned down the offer, and UPA partisans ambushed and annihilated MPLA cadres.
In 1961, Portugal's refusal to address Angolan demands for self-determination provoked an armed conflict, which erupted with the Baixa de Cassanje revolt and gradually evolved into a protracted war of independence.
Since 1961, Angola faced almost continual armed conflict, which has contributed to huge social and economic problems.
Since the beginning of the anti-colonial fight in 1961, Portuguese colonial authorities expelled Protestant missionaries.
In 1966, Jonas Savimbi and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) spearheaded a largely Ovimbundu guerrilla initiative against the Portuguese in central Angola.
In 1968, the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (CABGOC) discovered most of the oil along Cabinda's coast under Portuguese rule.
The census carried out in 2014 was the first one conducted or carried out since December 15, 1970.
In 1972, Sarah Maldoror's Sambizanga, an internationally co-produced feature film, was released and won the Tanit d'Or at the Carthage Film Festival.
In early January 1975, Holden Roberto, Jonas Savimbi, and Agostinho Neto met in Mombasa and agreed to form a coalition government, encouraged by the Organisation of African Unity.
In March 1975, Sporadic violence broke out in Luanda after the FNLA attacked the MPLA's political headquarters.
In August 1975, the MPLA requested direct assistance from the Soviet Union in the form of ground troops, but the Soviets declined, offering advisers instead. Cuba dispatched combat personnel to Angola with weaponry and supplies.
The Alvor Agreement called for general elections and set the country's independence date for 11 November 1975.
Before independence in 1975, Angola was a bread-basket of southern Africa, but after the civil war it became dependent on food imports.
Between 1961 and 1975, the MPLA, UNITA, and the FNLA competed for influence in the Angolan population and the international community. The Soviet Union and Cuba supported the MPLA with arms, ammunition, funding, and training.
Between 1975 and 1991, the MPLA implemented an economic and political system based on the principles of scientific socialism, incorporating central planning and a Marxist–Leninist one-party state.
Following Angola's independence in 1975, the level of destruction and socio-economic damage increased during the long years of civil war.
Foreign missionaries were very active in Angola prior to independence in 1975.
In 1975, Angola achieved independence after a protracted anti-colonial struggle. However, the same year, the country descended into a devastating civil war between various factions, including the MPLA backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba, UNITA supported by the United States and South Africa, the FNLA backed by Zaire, and the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, also backed by Zaire.
In 1975, the Angolan Civil War began, leading to widespread destruction and looting of nearly half of all schools.
Prior to independence in 1975, Angola had a community of approximately 350,000 Portuguese, but the vast majority left after independence and the ensuing civil war.
In 1977, The ruling MPLA party survived an attempted coup d'état by the Maoist-oriented Communist Organisation of Angola (OCA).
In 1990 Angola had 79,262,780 hectares (ha) of forest.
In 1990, the MPLA abandoned its former Marxist ideology and declared social democracy to be its new platform.
In May 1991, Angola reached a peace agreement with UNITA, the Bicesse Accords, which scheduled new general elections for September 1992.
Between 1975 and 1991, the MPLA implemented an economic and political system based on the principles of scientific socialism.
In September 1992, new general elections were held; when the MPLA secured a major electoral victory, UNITA objected to the results and returned to war.
According to the 1995 census, Cabinda had an estimated population of 600,000, approximately 400,000 of whom are citizens of neighboring countries.
In 1995, 71.2 percent of children ages 7 to 14 years were attending school in Angola.
In 1998, Angola's net primary enrollment rate was 61 percent.
In 1999, Angola's gross primary enrollment rate was 74 percent.
As of 2001, 82.9% of men and 54.2% of women were literate in Angola.
In the period 2001–10, Angola had the world's highest annual average GDP growth, at 11.1%.
On 22 February 2002, government troops killed Savimbi in a skirmish in the Moxico province. UNITA and the MPLA consented to the Luena Memorandum of Understanding in April; UNITA agreed to give up its armed wing.
According to the Angolan Minister of Economy, Abraão Gourgel, the financial market of Angola grew modestly since 2002.
Following the end of the Angolan Civil War in 2002, smallholder and plantation agriculture began to recover after dramatically dropping during the conflict.
In 2002, Angola demanded compensation from Chevron Corporation for allegedly caused oil spills, marking the first time it had fined a multinational corporation operating in its waters.
In 2002, life expectancy in Angola was just 46 years.
In 2002, the Angolan Civil War ended, leaving a legacy of destroyed schools and overcrowding issues in the education system.
Missionaries have been able to return to Angola since the early 1990s, and by 2002 they were restoring mission stations.
Since achieving political stability in 2002, Angola's economy has grown significantly, mainly due to rising earnings in the oil sector.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. China, the European Union, and the United States became the country's largest investment and trade partners.
The 2002 peace settlement led to the resettlement of 4 million displaced persons and a large-scale increase in agricultural production.
Since 2003, more than 400,000 Congolese migrants have been expelled from Angola.
In 2004, Angola increased budgetary allocations for education, though the system remained under-funded.
In 2005, Angola's economy began a period of rapid growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing in the world.
In 2005, the Angolan government received a loan of $2.9 billion from China International Fund Ltd.
In 2005, the Ministry of Education in Angola recruited 20,000 new teachers and continued teacher training programs.
In late 2005, oil production in Angola surpassed 1.4 million barrels per day.
In 2006, the Angola national football team made their first appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals, getting eliminated after one defeat and two draws in the group stage.
In 2006, the Angolan economy grew by 26%.
A 2007 survey concluded that low and deficient niacin status was common in Angola.
As of 2007, the total fertility rate of Angola was 5.54 children born per woman.
Between 2005 and 2007, Angola experienced an average GDP growth of 20%.
Between 2007 and 2010, US$32 billion disappeared from government accounts in Angola, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
By 2007, oil production in Angola was expected to grow to 2 million barrels per day.
By the end of 2007, it was estimated that Angola hosted 12,100 refugees and 2,900 asylum seekers.
In 2007, Angola ranked forty-two out of forty-eight sub-Saharan African states on the Index of African Governance.
In June 2008, The Constitutional Court was institutionalized and its Judicial Counselors assumed the position before the President of the Republic, with the approval of Law no. 2/08, of 17 June – Organic Law of the Constitutional Court and Law n. 3/08, of 17 June – Organic Law of the Constitutional Process.
In September 2008, The Constitutional Court's first task was the validation of the candidacies of the political parties to the legislative elections of 5 September 2008.
A 2008 study by the Angolan Instituto Nacional de Estatística found that roughly 58% of the population in rural areas were classified as "poor" according to UN norms, compared to 19% in urban areas, with an overall rate of 37%.
As of 2008, the U.S. Department of State estimated the Muslim population in Angola at 80,000–90,000.
As of 2008, there were an estimated 400,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo migrant workers, at least 220,000 Portuguese, and about 259,000 Chinese living in Angola.
In 2008, The Economist reported that diamonds and oil made up 60% of Angola's economy, nearly all of its revenue and its dominant exports.
In 2008, voter turnout was 80%.
With the elections in 2008 and 2012, an MPLA-ruled dominant-party system emerged, with UNITA and the FNLA as opposition parties.
Due to the global recession, the Angolan economy contracted an estimated −0.3% in 2009.
Between 2007 and 2010, US$32 billion disappeared from government accounts in Angola, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
By 2010, mortality rates for children in Angola fell to 19 percent, decreasing from 25 percent in 2001.
In 2010, Angola's constitution established the broad outlines of government structure and delineated the rights and duties of citizens. The legal system is based on Portuguese law and customary law. A Supreme Court serves as the appellate tribunal.
In 2010, a new constitution was adopted in Angola, doing away with presidential elections and introducing a system where the president and vice-president of the winning political party automatically assume those roles. The president effectively controls all state organs, leading to an authoritarian regime.
In 2010, the Angolan government began establishing the Angolan Media Libraries Network to enhance public access to information, featuring bibliographic archives, multimedia resources, computers with Internet access, and spaces for reading and research.
According to estimates by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the adult literacy rate in 2011 was 70.4%.
By 2011, life expectancy in Angola had reached 51 years, marking an improvement from 46 years in 2002.
In 2011, Bilateral trade between China and Angola reached $27.67 billion, up 11.5% year-on-year.
In 2011, the Angola national football team finished as runner-up in the African Nations Championship.
In August 2012, the parliamentary elections suffered from serious flaws, including outdated and inaccurate voter rolls. Voter turnout dropped from 80% in 2008 to 60%.
A 2012 study mentions that Portuguese is the first language of 39% of the population in Angola.
According to a 2012 report by the U.S. Department of State, the three most significant human rights abuses in Angola included official corruption and impunity, restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, speech, and press, and cruel and excessive punishment.
As of 2012, the total fertility rate of Angola was estimated to be 5.54 children born per woman.
With the elections in 2008 and 2012, an MPLA-ruled dominant-party system emerged, with UNITA and the FNLA as opposition parties.
In December 2013, the monetary policy led by the Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) allowed a decrease in the inflation rate, which was put at 7.96%.
In 2013, Angola was ranked 39 out of 52 sub-Saharan African countries on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, with poor scores in participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity, and human development.
In January 2014, Angola began chairing the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL).
In September 2014, the Angolan Institute for Cancer Control (IACC) was created by presidential decree.
In September 2014, the Angolan Ministry of Education announced a 16 million Euro investment in computerising over 300 classrooms across the country, including teacher training to integrate new information technologies in primary schools.
In October 2014, Angola was elected for the second time as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, securing 190 favorable votes out of 193.
In October 2014, the building of an optic fiber underwater cable was announced, aiming to turn Angola into a continental hub for Internet connections.
On December 19, 2014, the Capital Market in Angola was launched, with BODIVA (Angola Stock Exchange and Derivatives) allocated the secondary public debt market.
According to the 2014 census, Portuguese is spoken by 71.1% of Angolans.
In 2014, Angola initiated a national measles vaccination campaign targeting children under ten, aiming for coverage in all 18 provinces. This campaign was part of the Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Measles 2014–2020, which also included polio vaccination and vitamin A supplementation.
In 2014, Angola resumed the National Festival of Angolan Culture after a 25-year break, held in all provincial capitals for 20 days under the theme "Culture as a Factor of Peace and Development."
In 2014, Angola was classified as 'not free' by Freedom House in the Freedom in the World report.
In 2014, a census in Angola showed a preliminary population of 24,383,301 inhabitants.
In 2014, a census mentions that 71.15% of Angolans use Portuguese as a first or second language.
In 2014, a new penal code took effect in Angola. One of the novelties in the new legislation is the classification of money-laundering as a crime.
In 2014, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that Angola's economy would grow by 3.9 per cent, driven by robust growth in the non-oil economy, particularly the agricultural sector.
In January 2015, Angola's term of office as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council began.
On March 11, 2015, the First Angolan Forum of Telecommunications and Information Technology was held in Luanda, promoting discussion on telecommunications issues.
In December 2015, Angola experienced its worst yellow fever outbreak in three decades, originating in Luanda.
In 2015, 100% of the forest area in Angola was reported to be under public ownership.
In 2015, The total manpower of the Angolan Armed Forces (Forças Armadas Angolanas, FAA) was 107,000; plus paramilitary forces of 10,000 (2015 est.).
In 2015, management of the top-level domain '.ao' passed from Portugal to Angola.
In 2015, the CIRGL Executive Secretary Ntumba Luaba commended Angola as an example for member states due to its progress in socio-economic and political-military stability after 12 years of peace.
In 2015, the adult literacy rate in Angola increased to 71.1%.
In 2015, the corporate debt market was expected to be launched by BODIVA (Angola Stock Exchange and Derivatives).
On March 23, 2016, official data revealed by Angola's National Statistic Institute stated that Angola had a population of 25,789,024 inhabitants.
By August 2016, Angola's yellow fever outbreak began to subside after nearly 4,000 suspected infections and 369 deaths, having spread from Luanda to at least 16 provinces.
In December 2016, Angola's term of office as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council expired.
In 2016, Angola had 1.9 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory and used 1.01 global hectares of biocapacity per person.
In 2016, a drought caused the worst food crisis in Southern Africa in 25 years, affecting 1.4 million people across seven of Angola's eighteen provinces. Food prices rose and acute malnutrition rates doubled, impacting over 95,000 children.
In 2016, the stock market in Angola was expected to commence trading.
After 38 years of rule, in 2017 President dos Santos stepped down from MPLA leadership. The leader of the winning party at the parliamentary elections in August 2017 would become the next president of Angola.
On December 26, 2017, the first Angolan satellite, AngoSat-1, was launched into orbit, but communication was lost on December 27 due to a power failure.
By 2017, the plan was to establish one media library in each Angolan province.
In 2017, José Eduardo dos Santos stepped down as President of Angola after 38 years, being peacefully succeeded by João Lourenço.
In 2018, Angola had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.35/10, ranking it 23rd globally out of 172 countries.
In 2019, Angola decriminalized homosexual acts and prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In January 2020, the Luanda Leaks revealed that U.S. consulting companies helped members of former President José Eduardo dos Santos's family corruptly manage Sonangol for personal profit, using company revenues for projects in France and Switzerland.
In August 2020, José Filomeno dos Santos, who is the son of Angola's former president, received a five-year jail sentence due to his involvement in fraud and corruption.
AngoSat-2 was expected to be in service by 2020.
In 2020, forest cover in Angola was around 53% of the total land area, equivalent to 66,607,380 hectares.
In 2020, the Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Measles 2014–2020, created by the Angolan Ministry of Health, aimed to strengthen routine immunisation, proper dealing with measles cases, national campaigns, introducing a second dose of vaccination in the national routine vaccination calendar and active epidemiological surveillance for measles. This campaign took place together with the vaccination against polio and vitamin A supplementation.
As of February 2021, AngoSat-2 was about 60% ready for launch.
As of 2021, Angola's biggest import partners were the European Union, followed by China, Togo, the United States, and Brazil. More than half of Angola's exports go to China, followed by a significantly smaller amount to India, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates.
In July 2022, ex-president José Eduardo dos Santos died in Spain.
The launch of AngoSat-2 was expected by July 2022.
In August 2022, the ruling party, MPLA, won another majority and President Lourenço won a second five-year term in the election.
The launch of AngoSat-2 occurred on October 12, 2022.
In 2022, Angola produced an average of 1.165 million barrels of oil per day.
In March 2023, 500 Angolan personnel were deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) in response to the resurgence of the M23.
In 2023, Angola emitted 174.71 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, around 0.32% of the world's total emissions, making it the 46th highest emitting country.
As of September 2024, Angola is divided into twenty-one provinces and 162 municipalities, with municipalities further divided into 559 communes.
In 2024, Angola was classified as 'not free' by Freedom House in the Freedom in the World report, however the report has noted increases in freedoms under João Lourenço.
In 2024, Angola was ranked 133rd in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2024, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranked Angola 103rd out of 127 countries, indicating a serious level of hunger with a GHI score of 26.6.
Arround 2025, the population is expected to be 39 million inhabitants.
As of 2025, the Angolan population is estimated at 39 million. Angolan culture reflects centuries of Portuguese influence, namely the predominance of the Portuguese language and of the Catholic Church, intermingled with a variety of indigenous customs and traditions.
In 2025, Angola premiered its first musical film, "The Adventures of Angosat," composed by local rapper Isis Hembe.
In its Nationally Determined Contribution, Angola has pledged a 14% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and an additional 10% reduction conditional on international support.
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