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: | total: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries: | total: 5,198 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km |
| Coastline: | 1,600 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.41%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 97.35% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 750 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau |
| Environment - current issues: | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Source: CIA World Factbook
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