Angola

Angola is a Southern African country sharing its borders with the South Atlantic Ocean and four countries namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Namibia, and Zambia. The country has a semi-arid climate and a terrain consisting of coastal plains and plateaus in the interior. It has a population of approximately 33 million people. The major ethnic groups in the country are the Ovimbundu, Kimbundu and Bakongo, which respectively account for 37 per cent, 25 per cent and 13 per cent of the country’s population. Portuguese is the official language of the country, spoken alongside the indigenous local languages.

The country operates a presidential republic system of government, administratively divided into 18 provinces, including Luanda the capital of the country. Agriculture and oil are the main economic drivers. The agricultural sector employs 85 per cent of the labor force, while the oil sector accounts for 50 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, 70 per cent of general government revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. Other sources of foreign exchange earnings for the economy include the exports of diamonds, coffee, fish, timber, and cotton. Corruption in the extractive sector and high rates of poverty are significant challenges.