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| Location: |
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
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| Geographic coordinates: |
12 30 S, 18 30 E
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| Area: |
total:
1,246,700 sq km
land:
1,246,700 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
5,198 km
border countries:
Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 220 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km
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| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
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| Terrain: |
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Morro de Moco 2,620 m
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| Natural resources: |
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
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| Land use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
23%
forests and woodland:
43%
other:
32% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
750 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
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| 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
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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| Geography - note: |
Cabinda is separated from rest of country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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