Angola

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The Republic of Angola is located on the southern Atlantic coast of Africa and is bordered by the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the north, Namibia to the south, and Zambia to the east. Angola has a narrow coastal plain that rises sharply into a plateau. The country is roughly twice the size of Texas, with abundant natural resources such as diamonds, gold, bountiful Atlantic fishing, and rich oil deposits. According to the CIA World Factbook, Angola had a population of 10.8 million in 2003.

Formerly a colony of Portugal, Angola declared its independence in 1975 after years of fighting and has been ravaged by civil war for most of the time since, nominally controlled by a one-party Marxist state until 1992. A United Nations' (UN)-observed election was held after a brief cease-fire between Marxist and Western-backed factions in 1992; the Marxist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) faction won this election. However, despite the UN assertion that the election had been both fair and free, the Western-backed National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) claimed fraud, and the civil war resumed. In 2002 the death of Jonas Savimbi, the political leader of the UNITA, led to a suspension of fighting, with the pro-Western group disarming to become the major opposition to the MPLA, led by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos (b. 1942).

In theory, Angola is a multiparty democracy with universal suffrage for all citizens eighteen years or older. Its government is based on the civil law and customary law system of Portugal, and the "democracy" has been in existence since 1991 with the passage of a constitution legalizing opposition parties. In reality, however, President dos Santos has not allowed regular democratic processes to take effect; the last legislative elections took place in 1992. Despite its division into eighteen regional governments, Angola is a highly centralized state with most of its power concentrated in the executive branch, which consists of a president, a council of ministers appointed by the president, and a prime minister subordinate to the president. Judicial review, although constitutionally authorized, plays little role, with the Tribunal da Relacao (Supreme Court) appointed by the president. The legislative branch consists of a unicameral Assembleia Nacional (National Legislature), with the MPLA holding an absolute majority (54%), which it has enjoyed since the 1992 elections. Continued political instability in Angola has produced widespread government corruption. Over $4 billion of oil revenue disappeared from government coffers between

(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)

1997 and 2002; this is roughly the same amount that the government spent on social services during the same period.

Human rights are also a concern in Angola. Some child soldiers recruited during the years of civil war continue to fight in the armed forces, although this becomes less common as many of them rejoin their families or reach the age of eighteen. The torture, killing, and unlawful seizure of civilians by security forces persist, however, and the government continues to restrict freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and the rights of workers to organize. Moreover, thousands of families displaced by civil war have been forcibly evicted from their homes, often violently, as the end of the conflict has led to increased pressure by local and business elites to acquire prime land.

Peacekeeping Forces.

"Angola."In CIA World Factbook. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2005. <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publicat ions/factbook/geos/ao.html>.

McEvedy, Colin. The Penguin Atlas of African History, 2nd ed. Hong Kong: Penguin Books, 1995.

Republic of Angola. <http://www.angola.org/>.