Factbook dossier
Background
Bantu-speaking people settled in the area now called Angola in 6 th century A.D.; by the 10 th century various Bantu groups had established kingdoms, of which Kongo became the most powerful. From the late-14th to the mid-19th century, a Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. It traded heavily with the Portuguese who, beginning in the 16th century, established coastal colonies and trading posts and introduced Christianity. Angola became a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade conducted by the Portuguese and other European powers -- often in collaboration with local kingdoms, including the Kongo. The Angola area is estimated to have lost as many as 4 million people as a result of the slave trade. The Kingdom of Kongo s main rival was the Kingdom of Ndongo to its south, whose most famous leader was Nzingha Mbande, the 17 th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, who successfully fought off Portuguese encroachment during her nearly 40-year reign. Smaller kingdoms, such as the Matamba and Ngoyo, often came under the control of the Kongo or Ndongo Kingdoms. During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Portugal and other European powers set Angola s modern borders, but the Portuguese did not fully control large portions of the territory. Portugal gained control of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1888 when Kongo s King Pedro V sought Portuguese military assistance in exchange for becoming a vassal. After a revolt in 1914, Portugal imposed direct rule over the colony and abolished the Kongo Kingdom. T…
Location
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
total : 1,246,700 sq km land: 1,246,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
Natural hazards
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
Population
total: 38,984,796 (2025 est.) male: 19,115,781 female: 19,869,015
Ethnic groups
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%
Languages
Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6% (2014 est.) note : shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census
Religions
Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)
Environmental issues
overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion; desertification; deforestation of tropical rainforest from international demand for timber and domestic use as fuel; loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Luanda geographic coordinates: 8 50 S, 13 13 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time etymology: the Portuguese named the city S o Paulo da Assun o de Loanda (Saint Paul of the Assumption of Loanda); over time, it was shortened to "Luanda," which may derive from a Bantu word meaning "tax" or "duty," in reference to local people paying their dues to the king of the Congo
Executive branch
chief of state: President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017) head of government: President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: the candidate of the winning party or coalition in the last legislative election becomes the president; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) most recent election date: 24 August 2022 election results: Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (MPLA) elected president by then winning party following the 24 August 2022 general election expected date of next election: 2027
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Assembleia nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 220 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 8/24/2022 parties elected and seats per party: Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (124); National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) (90); Other (6) percentage of women in chamber: 39.1% expected date of next election: August 2027
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$278.239 billion (2024 est.) $266.452 billion (2023 est.) $263.61 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$7,300 (2024 est.) $7,300 (2023 est.) $7,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
28.2% (2024 est.) 13.6% (2023 est.) 21.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 40%, India 9%, UAE 6%, Spain 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 19%, Portugal 10%, UAE 7%, India 6%, USA 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA) Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police (2025)
Military expenditures
1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)