Angola

Map scale: 1 centimeter = 151 kilometers and 1 inch = 238 miles

The seventh-largest African country with an area of 1,246,701 km² (481,354 mi²), ANGOLA is a Portuguese-speaking country in Southern Africa, formerly colonized by Portugal until 1975. Angola's independence day is celebrated November 11th every year. There are 4 bordering countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo (northeast of Angola), Republic of the Congo (north), Namibia (south), and Zambia (east). Angola also borders the South Atlantic Ocean on the west coast. Cabinda is a tiny exclave north of Angola, separated from the rest of Angola by a strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola has eighteen provinces (províncias), and you can find more details with my Angola Provinces post ↗ (March 25, 2015). The Angolan Kwanza (Kz) is the national currency (ISO 4217 currency code: AOA).

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  About 29.8 million residents call Angola their home, a stark contrast compared to Namibia's 2.53 million people (2017 estimates). The provinces of Cuando Cubango (southeast) and Moxico (east) are relatively sparsely populated compared to the other provinces. This is hinted by the distribution of major towns and cities depicted on the GeoFact of the Day map above. Comprising almost two-fifths (40%) of the population, Ovimbundu is the largest ethnic group, followed by Kimbundu (25%) and Bakongo (about 13%). About half of Angolans believe in indigenous beliefs, while others are predominantly Roman Catholics and Protestants. Portuguese is the country's official language. Along the Atlantic coast, the capital is Luanda which has a metropolitan population greater than 6,000,000. Other communities include Benguela, Caxito, Luena, M'Banza Kongo, Namibe, Sumbe, and Uíge.

● ● ● ● ●  Land Features  ● ● ● ● ●  Some rivers flow westward into the Atlantic Ocean, including Bengo, Cunene, Cuanza, Dande, and Mbridge rivers. The mighty Congo River flows less than 60 kilometers and 40 miles westward along the northern border of Zaire Province in "main" Angola — not Cabinda, the exclave to the north. Some eastward-flowing rivers — such as Cuando and Luena — are connected to Zambezi River, which empties into the Indian Ocean. Moxico Province in eastern Angola is near the Zambezi River's source, which is in northern Zambia. Unlike the previously-mentioned east rivers, the Cubango (Okavango) River and Cuito River flow to the Okavango Delta in Botswana. This delta is located in an endorheic basin, meaning the rivers do not flow to a sea or ocean. Instead, river water evaporates in the arid Kalahari Desert region.

Cuando Cubango Province's sparse population results in a perfect setting to protect the environment and animals in national parks. Cuando Cubango's three prominent national parks — Longa-Mavinga, Luengué, and Luiana — are tucked near the country's southeastern triangle. Angola's highest point — Morro de Moco (Mount Moco) — stands above western Huambo Province in western Angola at 2,620 meters (8,596 feet). South of Namibe (Moçâmedes) and Tombua in the South Atlantic Ocean lies the country's largest island, (Ilha do) Tigres, which is typically uninhabited by humans. The sandy, desert-like island located west of the Baía dos Tigres (Bay of Tigers) once was a peninsula and village area. Today, the ghost town is visible due to its abandoned architectural ruins, which includes a steepled church and several bygone shops.

This post was updated on January 10th, 2019, the same day that the map above was uploaded to this blog post.