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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 1,246,700 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 24

Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 5,369 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): 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

Coastline:
1,600 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,112 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Moca 2,620 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

Land use:
agricultural land: 47.5% arable land 8.3%; permanent crops 0.5%; permanent pasture 91.23%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 46.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 6% (2014 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
860 sq km (2014)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly Luanda

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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