Map of Angola
Angola is a country in Africa with its capital at Luanda, home to about 39.04 million people across 1.25M km². The interactive map below plots 49 cities and towns, 12 rivers, 1 mountain summits and 18 ports recorded for Angola in YearMaps.
- Population
- 39.04 million
- Area
- 1.25M km²
- Capital
- Luanda
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Angola
Centred on Luanda at 8.8363° S, 13.2325° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the western coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country after Brazil in both total area and population and is the seventh-largest country in Africa. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Angolan province of Cabinda is an exclave on the Atlantic coast, bordering the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital and most populous city is Luanda.
Angola has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age. After the Bantu expansion reached the region, states were formed by the 13th century and organised into confederations. The Kingdom of Kongo ascended to achieve hegemony among the other kingdoms from the 14th century. Portuguese explorers established relations with Kongo in 1483. To the south were the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba, with the Ovimbundu kingdoms further south, and the Mbunda Kingdom in the east.
The Portuguese began colonising the coast in the 16th century. Kongo fought three wars against the Portuguese, ending in the Portuguese conquest of Ndongo. The banning of the slave trade in the 19th century disrupted Kongo's undiversified economic system and European settlers gradually began to establish their presence in the interior of the region. The Portuguese colony that became Angola did not achieve its present borders until the early 20th century and experienced strong resistance from native groups such as the Cuamato, the Kwanyama, and the Mbunda.
After a protracted anti-colonial struggle (1961–1974), Angola achieved independence in 1975 as a one-party Republic, but the country descended into a devastating civil war the same year, between the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba; the insurgent National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, an originally Maoist and later anti-communist group supported by the United States and South Africa; the militant organisation National Liberation Front of Angola, backed by Zaire; and the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda seeking the independence of the Cabinda exclave, also backed by Zaire.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has emerged as a relatively stable constitutional republic, and its economy is among the fastest-growing in the world, with China, the European Union, and the United States being the country's largest investment and trade partners.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Angola (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Angola
Bantu-speaking people settled in the area now called Angola in 6th century A.D.; by the 10th century various Bantu groups had established kingdoms, of which Kongo became the most powerful. From the late-14th to the mid-19th century, a Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. It traded heavily with the Portuguese who, beginning in the 16th century, established coastal colonies and trading posts and introduced Christianity. Angola became a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade conducted by the Portuguese and other European powers -- often in collaboration with local kingdoms, including the Kongo. The Angola area is estimated to have lost as many as 4 million people as a result of the slave trade. The Kingdom of Kongo’s main rival was the Kingdom of Ndongo to its south, whose most famous leader was Nzingha Mbande, the 17th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, who successfully fought off Portuguese encroachment during her nearly 40-year reign. Smaller kingdoms, such as the Matamba and Ngoyo, often came under the control of the Kongo or Ndongo Kingdoms. During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Portugal and other European powers set Angola’s modern borders, but the Portuguese did not fully control large portions of the territory. Portugal gained control of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1888 when Kongo’s King Pedro V sought Portuguese military assistance in exchange for becoming a vassal. After a revolt in 1914, Portugal imposed direct rule over the colony and abolished the Kongo Kingdom. The Angolan National Revolution began in 1961, and in 1975, Angola won its independence when Portugal’s dictatorship fell, a collapse that occurred in part because of growing discontent over conflict in Angola and other colonies. Angola’s multiple independence movements soon clashed, with the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Agostinho NETO, taking power and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, emerging as its main competitor. After NETO’s death in 1979, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, also of the MPLA, became president. Over time, the Angolan civil war escalated and became a major Cold War conflict, with the Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA and the US and South Africa supporting UNITA. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost -- and 4 million people displaced -- during the more than a quarter-century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. DOS SANTOS did not seek reelection in 2017 and supported Joao LOURENCO’s successful bid to become president. LOURENCO was reelected in 2022. Angola scores low on human development indexes despite using its large oil reserves to rebuild since 2002.
- Location
- Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Climate
- Semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
- Terrain
- Narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau.
- Highest point
- Moco 2,620 m.
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 1,600 km.
- Land borders
- 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.
- Major rivers
- Rio Zambeze (Zambezi) (shared with Zambia [s], Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Rio Cubango (Okavango) river source (shared with Namibia and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 36.9% (2023 est.); arable land: 4.3% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 32.4% (2023 est.); forest: 51.6% (2023 est.); other: 11.5% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau.
- Geographic note
- The province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Languages
- Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6% (2014 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%.
- Economy
- Middle-income, oil-dependent African economy; widespread poverty; rising inflation and currency depreciation; seeking diversification through agricultural production; significant corruption in public institutions; major infrastructure investments from China and US; exited OPEC in 2023.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Angola in Numbers
- Population
- 39.04 million
- GDP
- US$122.2 billion
- GDP per person
- US$3,129
- Life expectancy
- 64.8 years
- Population growth
- 3.00% a year
- Population density
- 30 per km²
- Urban population
- 71.5%
- Surface area
- 1,246,700 km²
- Forest cover
- 51.1%
- Arable land
- 3.7%
- Access to electricity
- 55.5%
- Internet users
- 40.7%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Angola in Depth
History
Modern Angola was populated predominantly by nomadic Khoi and San peoples prior to the first Bantu migrations. The Khoi and San peoples were hunter-gatherers, rather than practising pastoralism or cultivation of crops.
In the first millennium BC, they were displaced by Bantu peoples arriving from the north, most of whom likely originated in what is today northwestern Nigeria and southern Niger. Bantu speakers introduced the cultivation of bananas and taro, as well as maintenance of large cattle herds, to Angola's central highlands and the Luanda plain. Due to a number of inhibiting geographic factors throughout the territory of Angola, namely harshly traversable land, hot/humid climate, and a plethora of deadly diseases, intermingling of pre-colonial tribes in Angola had been rare.
Geography
At 1,246,700 km2 (481,400 sq mi), Angola is the world's twenty-second largest country – comparable in size to Mali, or twice the size of France or of Texas.
It lies mostly between latitudes 4° and 18°S, and longitudes 12° and 24°E. Angola borders Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-east and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west. The coastal exclave of Cabinda in the north has borders with the Republic of the Congo to the north and with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south.
The nation's capital, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic coast in the northwest of the country.
Angola has a favourable coastline for maritime trade, with four natural harbours: Luanda, Lobito, Moçâmedes, and Tômbua.
Economy
Angola has diamonds, oil, gold, copper, a rich wildlife (which was dramatically depleted during the civil war), forests, and fossil fuels. Since independence, oil and diamonds have been the most important economic resources. Smallholder and plantation agriculture dramatically dropped during the Angolan Civil War, but began to recover after 2002.
Angola's economy has in recent years moved on from the disarray caused by a quarter-century of Angolan civil war to become the fastest-growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest-growing in the world, with an average GDP growth of 20% between 2005 and 2007. In the period 2001–10, Angola had the world's highest annual average GDP growth, at 11.1%.
Demographics
Angola has a population of 36,604,681 inhabitants according to the results of its 2024 census. It is composed of Ovimbundu 29%, Ambundu 27%, Bakongo 14%, and 30% other ethnic groups (including the Chokwe, the Nyaneka-Lumkumbi, the Ovambo, the Ganguela and the Xindonga). The Ambundu and Ovimbundu ethnic groups combined form a majority of the population, at 56%.
It is estimated that Angola was host to 12,100 refugees and 2,900 asylum seekers by the end of 2007.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Angola (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Angola: Key Facts
| Currency | kwanza |
|---|---|
| Official language | Portuguese |
| Head of state | João Lourenço |
| Head of government | João Lourenço |
| Form of government | republic, presidential system |
| Calling code | +244 |
| Internet domain | .ao |
| Highest point | Mount Moco |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean |
| Established | 25 August 1992 |
Facts from Wikidata Q916 (CC0).
History of Angola: Empires and States
The atlas records 7 polities whose mapped territory included part of Angola, from Kingdom of Kongo in 1440 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Kongo | 1440–1669 CE | A small part |
| The Portuguese Empire | 1579–1910 CE | Most |
| Kingdom of Lunda | 1709–1889 CE | A small part |
| Kingdom of Portugal | 1824–1910 CE | Most |
| Portuguese Republic | 1911–1925 CE | Nearly all |
| Estado Novo | 1926–1975 CE | Nearly all |
| People's Republic of Angola | 1976–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Angola
Angola on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Angola
49 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luanda | 5.17 million | Luanda | National capital |
| 2 | Huambo | 1.10 million | Huambo | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Lobito | 207,932 | Benguela | Populated place |
| 4 | Benguela | 151,226 | Benguela | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Namibe | 132,900 | Namibe | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Malanje | 125,856 | Malanje | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Lubango | 125,632 | Huíla | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Kuito | 114,286 | Bié | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Cabinda | 91,791 | Cabinda | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Capenda-Camulemba | 80,000 | Lunda Norte | Populated place |
| 11 | Soyo | 67,491 | Zaire | Populated place |
| 12 | Mbanza-Congo | 60,182 | Zaire | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Uíge | 60,008 | Uíge | Admin-1 capital |
| 14 | Saurimo | 41,316 | Lunda Sul | Admin-1 capital |
| 15 | Tômbua | 40,000 | Namibe | Populated place |
| 16 | Sumbe | 33,277 | Cuanza Sul | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | Lucapa | 31,041 | Lunda Norte | Admin-1 capital |
| 18 | Mavinga | 30,000 | Cuando Cubango | Populated place |
| 19 | Caxito | 28,224 | Bengo | Admin-1 capital |
| 20 | Luena | 21,115 | Moxico | Admin-1 capital |
| 21 | Nzeto | 21,059 | Zaire | Populated place |
| 22 | Camacupa | 19,828 | Bié | Populated place |
| 23 | Luau | 18,465 | Moxico | Populated place |
| 24 | Ambriz | 17,000 | Bengo | Populated place |
| 25 | Menongue | 13,030 | Cuando Cubango | Admin-1 capital |
The other 24 (population, region, role)
- Camabatela · 12,837 · Cuanza Norte · Populated place
- Waku Kungo · 12,069 · Cuanza Sul · Populated place
- Dundo · 11,985 · Lunda Norte · Populated place
- Songo · 10,579 · UGge · Populated place
- Ondjiva · 10,169 · Cunene · Admin-1 capital
- Quibala · 8,915 · Cuanza Sul · Populated place
- Ndalatando · 8,144 · Cuanza Norte · Admin-1 capital
- Cubal · 4,837 · Benguela · Populated place
- Dondo · 2,353 · Cuanza Norte · Populated place
- Muconda · 2,324 · Lunda Sul · Populated place
- Chibemba · 1,502 · HuOla · Populated place
- Chibia · 1,411 · HuOla · Populated place
- Cangamba · 1,307 · Moxico · Populated place
- Cacolo · 984 · Lunda Sul · Populated place
- Calulo · 795 · Cuanza Sul · Populated place
- Calucinga · 531 · BiO · Populated place
- Chitado · 500 · Cunene · Populated place
- Xangongo · 447 · Cunene · Populated place
- Cazombo · 298 · Moxico · Populated place
- Quipungo · 186 · HuOla · Populated place
- Luiana · 150 · Cuando Cubango · Populated place
- Mucusso · 100 · Cuando Cubango · Populated place
- Lumbala Nguimbo · 25 · Moxico · Populated place
Highest Mountains in Angola
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moro de Môco | 2,620 m | 8,596 ft | Africa |
Rivers in Angola
12 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
Ports in Angola
18 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabinda | 53 m | Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 2 | Porto Do Ambriz | 53 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
| 3 | Futila Terminal | 45.7 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
| 4 | Luanda | 31.1 m | Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 5 | Lobito | 27.4 m | Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 6 | Greater Plutonio Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 7 | Dalia Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 8 | Kizomba A Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 9 | Kizomba B Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 10 | Kizomba C Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
The other 8 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
- Kuito Oil Field · 5.5 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Psvm Terminal · 5.5 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Estrela Oil Field · 5.5 m · Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Porto Amboim · 5.5 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · point_of_interest
- Girassol Terminal · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Palanca Terminal · Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Takula Terminal · Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
- Malongo Oil Terminal · Small · Atlantic Coast of Africa · large vessels
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Angola
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M'banza-Kongo | 2017 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) (vi) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Angola
8 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Congo Basin | 3.11M km² | Basin | Africa |
| 3 | Kalahari Desert | 763,095 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 4 | Bié Plateau | 162,228 km² | Plateau | Africa |
| 5 | Crystal Mountains | 147,032 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
| 6 | Huíla Plateau | 30,845 km² | Plateau | Africa |
| 7 | Namib Desert | 3,621 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 8 | Kaokoland | 3,037 km² | Geoarea | Africa |
States and Provinces of Angola
3 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Angola
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Angola: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Angola?
- The capital of Angola is Luanda.
- What is the population of Angola?
- Angola has a population of about 39.04 million, the #39 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Angola?
- Angola covers 1.25M km², ranking #24 by area, with about 31 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Angola in?
- Angola is in Africa.
- Which countries border Angola?
- Angola shares a land or maritime border with Zambia, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, Gabon, Namibia.
- What is the largest city in Angola?
- Luanda is the largest city in Angola, with a metropolitan population of about 5.17 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Angola?
- The highest summit recorded for Angola in YearMaps is Moro de Môco at 2,620 m (8,596 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.