Angola Country Overview
Where is Angola located? Angola, or officially ‘Republic of Angola’, is a country located in southwest Africa. On the time zone map, which divides the world into time zones according to the extent of the time difference from world time, Angola is in the same time zone despite the great physical distance. This means that both deviate by one hour from the coordinated world time, which is also called UTC internationally. One difference to European countries, however, is that there is no daylight saving time change in Angola.
Bordering Countries of Angola
According to abbreviationfinder, Angola is a country located in Central Africa, bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north. It has a total land border length of 2,646 km with its neighboring countries.
Namibia borders Angola to the south with a total land border length of 1,376 km; this region has been historically important for trade and commerce due to its strategic location near the Atlantic coast. Zambia borders Angola to the east with a total land border length of 1,088 km; this region has seen much conflict in recent years due to its strategic importance for access to resources and transportation corridors in Central Africa.
Namibia and Zambia have strong cultural ties with each other, as well as with Angola, due to their shared history and language. Additionally, both countries are members of regional organizations such as SADC (Southern African Development Community) which provides economic and political stability for all three countries in the region.
The vast savanna terrain between Namibia and Zambia also provides an important natural barrier between these two countries that helps maintain peace in this region. This terrain is also home to several national parks which attract tourists from around the world looking for an unforgettable experience in Angola’s vast wilderness areas.
The close proximity of these two countries also allows for easy travel between them, making it possible for people from both sides of the border to explore each other’s cultures and learn more about their shared history and language. Additionally, both Namibia and Zambia have strong international relations which help ensure that there is no conflict between them or with Angola over political or economic issues that could affect any one country’s interests or security.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Angola is 32,522,339, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 32,522,339 |
| Population growth rate | 3.43% |
| Birth rate | 44.20 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 54.95 years |
| Men life expectancy | 53.83 years |
| Women life expectancy | 56.11 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 48.07% |
| 15-64 years | 49.60% |
| 65 years and above | 2.32% |
| Median age | 18.00 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 1.02 |
| Population density | 26.09 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 35.70% |
| Ethnicities | |
| approx. 90 ethnic groups (especially Bantu): 38% Ovimbundu / Umbundu, 23% Mbundu / Kimbundu, 12% Bakongo / Kikongo; Luimbe-Nganguela, Humbe, Chokwe, Lunda, Ambo / Ovambo, Naneka, San and others | |
| Religions | |
| Indigenous religions 47%; Catholics (Roman Catholic) 38%; Protestants 15% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.574 |
| HDI ranking | 149th out of 194 |
People in Angola
Almost 30 million people live in Angola and the number is steadily increasing. The capital Luanda, in particular, continues to expand. A total of 100 ethnic groups live in Angola, most of them belonging to the Bantu peoples. 37 out of 100 are Ovimbundu, 25 out of 100 are Kimbundu and 13 out of 100 are Bakongo.
While the Ovimbundu are mainly found on the plateau and the coast, the Kimbundu have settled near the capital. But there are many other ethnic groups, of which only the Chokwe (also Lunda), Ganguela or the Herero are mentioned. Only a few Europeans still live in Angola, only one resident in 100 is originally from Europe and most of these are Portuguese.
Languages in Angola
The official language of Angola is Portuguese. Angola was once a Portuguese colony. Around 30 out of 100 people speak Portuguese as their mother tongue, so they will learn this language as the first language in their lives. Portuguese is particularly widespread in the capital.
But people still speak their own languages as well. These are mostly Bantu languages. This also includes Umbundu, who mainly speaks the Ovimbundu ethnic group. The Bakongo language is called Kikongo. Especially in northern Angola, the people speak the Kimbundu language. It is spoken by the Ambundu ethnic group.
Religions in Angola
A little more than half of the people profess the Christian faith and a little less than half live their traditional African faith. However, as is often the case in Africa, the religions can mix. In total there are more than 1000 religious communities in Angola.