in rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper,
feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 23% meadows and
pastures; 43% forest and woodland; 32% other

Environment: locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on plateau;
desertification

Note: Cabinda is separated from rest of country by Zaire

- People
Population: 8,534,483 (July 1990), growth rate 2.9% (1990)

Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 20 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 158 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male, 46 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Angolan(s); adjective--Angolan

Ethnic divisions: 37% Ovimbundu, 25% Kimbundu, 13% Bakongo, 2% Mestico,
1% European

Religion: 47% indigenous beliefs, 38% Roman Catholic, 15% Protestant
(est.)

Language: Portuguese (official); various Bantu dialects

Literacy: 41%

Labor force: 2,783,000 economically active; 85% agriculture, 15% industry
(1985 est.)

Organized labor: about 450,695 (1980)

- Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of Angola

Type: Marxist people's republic

Capital: Luanda

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (provincias,
singular--provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango,
Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte,
Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978 and 11 August 1980

Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law, but
being modified along socialist lines

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

Executive branch: president, chairman of the Council of Ministers,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relacao)

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jose Eduardo dos
SANTOS (since 21 September 1979)

Political parties and leaders: only party--Popular Movement for the
Liberation of Angola-Labor Party (MPLA-Labor Party), Jose Eduardo
dos Santos; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA),
lost to the MPLA with Cuban military