Article Outline
Angola, formerly Portuguese West Africa, officially Republic of Angola, independent state in south-western Africa, bordered on the north and east by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaïre), on the east by Zambia, on the south by Namibia, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. A small exclave, Cabinda, is located some 30 km (19 mi) to the north and is bounded on the north by the Republic of the Congo, on the east and south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Angola has a coastline of more than 1,600 km (994 mi) and a total area of 1,246,700 sq km (481,350 sq mi). The capital of Angola is Luanda. After gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola lapsed into a civil war that persisted until August 2002, resulting in widespread destruction of the country’s infrastructure and the devastation of large areas through the laying of millions of landmines.
Angola is one of the largest countries in Africa, covering an area more than twice the size of France and the Low Countries combined. The country can be divided into three major geographical regions. From west to east, these are the coastal plain, a transitional zone, and a vast inland plateau. The low-lying coastal plain varies from about 50 to 150 km (30 to 90 mi) in width. The transitional zone, which consists of a series of terraces or escarpments, is about 150 km (90 mi) wide in the north, but diminishes to about 30 km (19 mi) in the centre and south. To the east of this zone is the vast Angolan plateau, which covers about two thirds of the country and lies 1,000 to 1,520 m (3,300 to 5,000 ft) above sea level. Higher elevations are reached in the mountains of the central section, culminating in Mount Moco (2,620 m/8,597 ft), the country’s highest point.
Most of the country’s rivers rise in the central mountains. Of the many rivers that drain to the Atlantic Ocean, the Cuanza and Cunene are the most important. Other major rivers include the Kwango (Cuango), which drains north to the River Congo system, and the Kwando (Cuando) and Cubango (Okavango), both of which drain generally south-east to the Okavango delta and swamp in Botswana. Angola has no sizeable lakes.
Angola has a tropical climate, with a dry season that lasts from September to April. The country is prone to drought; in 1990 three million Angolans faced famine. The cool Benguela Current offshore moderates the temperatures of the coastal region and reduces rainfall, especially in the south. Annual rainfall is 338 mm (13 in) in Luanda, but only 51 mm (2 in) in Namibe, which borders the Namib Desert. On the cooler central plateau, rainfall decreases from 1,500 mm (60 in) in the north to 750 mm (30 in) in the south.
