| Location : |
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
12 30 S, 18 30 E |
| Map References : |
Africa |
| Area : |
total: 1,246,700 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land Boundaries : |
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 : |
1,600 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate : |
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April) |
| Terrain : |
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m |
| Natural Resources : |
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 2.41%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 97.35% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
750 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
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 : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
The province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
