Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates:
12 30 S, 18 30 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
1,246,700 sq km
country comparison to the world: 23
land:
1,246,700 sq km
water:
0 sq km
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
total:
5,369 km
border countries:
Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 231 km, Namibia 1,427 km, Zambia 1,065 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,600 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
More Climate Details
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Morro de Moco 2,620 m
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
arable land:
3.29%
permanent crops:
0.23%
other:
96.48% (2011)
855.3 sq km (2005)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
148 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.71 cu km/yr (45%/34%/21%)
per capita:
40.27 cu m/yr (2005)
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
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
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo