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Republic of Angola

History

Government Observers

Country Facts

Angola is located in southern Africa and is bordered by Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Namibia and the South Atlantic Ocean. The Portuguese arrived in coastal Angola during the sixteenth century. By the seventeenth century they were deeply involved in the region's slave trade. At the close of the nineteenth century, the Portuguese formally colonized Angola. Portuguese colonial rule has been aptly described by one historian as "exploitative neglect" because it ignored the basic needs of those it colonized while forcing them to either work as slaves or contract laborers. Constructed as overseas provinces of Portugal, Angola and the other Lusophone African colonies were never envisioned by the Portuguese as having the right to eventual independence.

In 1961, Angolan liberation movements embarked on a long and costly anti-colonial struggle. Their efforts culminated in Angola's independence in 1975. Four years later, the current head of government, President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, came to power under a one-party system. Angola's first multi-party elections were held in 1992 and President Dos Santos was re-elected. The election results were contested by the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi and civil war broke out shortly thereafter. In 1994, a peace accord was brokered between the government and UNITA that called for the integration of UNITA members into both the government and armed forces. This process did not lead to the introduction of a stable national unity government and in late 1998, Angola's civil war reached new levels of violence. Estimates suggest that up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost because of the civil war, which has plagued Angola intermittently for the last twenty-five years.

Chairman's Statement:

Diamonds produced in Angola have beautiful form and good purity; therefore, diamond extracts from this country are of very good quality.

Diamonds are extracted from three main sources: gravel close to the rivers; a conglomerate called "colonda"; and in volcanic pipes called "kimberlite." The alluvial diamond reserves are estimated at between 40 and 130 million carats. If the reserves found in the kimberlite pipes are added to the alluvial reserves a total reserve of up to 180 million carats is reached.

President: His Excellency José Eduardo DOS SANTOS

(since 21 September 1979)

Secretary of State of Geology, Mines and Industry:Dr. Mankenda AMROISE

(Committee Chairperson)

Minister of Geology, Mines and Industry:

Joaquim Duarte da COSTA

ENDIAMA President:

António Carlos SUMBULA

Ministry of Geology and Mines

Largo António Jacinto

P.O. Box 1260

Luanda, República de Angola

Telephone: +244 222 326 724

Fax: +244 222 321 655

Population: 13,068,161

Capital: Luanda

Major languages: Portuguese (official language), Bantu and other Indigenous African languages

Major religion: Christianity, Indigenous Belief Systems

Life expectancy: 45 years (men), 49 years (women)

Monetary unit: 1 Kwanza = 100 lwei

Other resources: petroleum, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium, coffee, fish, timber

Average annual income: US $240

Internet domain: .ao

International dialing code: +244