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Geography of Angola#High plateau

{{Short description|none}}

{{Infobox country geography

|name = Angola

|map = 240px

|map size =

|continent = Africa

|region = Southern Africa

|coordinates = {{coord|12|30|S|18|30|E|type:country}}

|area ranking = 22nd

|km area = 1,246,700

|percent land =

|percent water =

|km coastline = 1600

|exclusive economic zone= {{convert|518,433|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

|borders = Land boundaries: 5,369 km
DROC 2,646 km
Republic of Congo 231 km
Namibia 1,427 km
Zambia 1,065 km

|highest point = Mount Moco, 2,620 m

|lowest point = Atlantic Ocean, sea level

|longest river = Congo River, 4,344 m

|largest lake =

|climate =

|terrain = narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

|natural resources = petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

|natural hazards = occasional heavy rainfall with accompanying floods

|environmental issues = deforestation, overgrazing of meadows, air pollution, waste disposal

}}

Angola is located on the western Atlantic Coast of Southern Africa between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. It also is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the east. The country consists of a sparsely watered and somewhat sterile coastal plain extending inland for a distance varying from {{convert|50|to|160|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Slightly inland and parallel to the coast is a belt of hills and mountains and behind those a large plateau. The total land size is {{convert|1,246,700|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. It has an Exclusive Economic Zone of {{convert|518,433|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.

Area

; Area:

:* Total: {{convert|1246700|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}{{Citation|title=Angola|date=November 16, 2021|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/angola/|work=The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=November 22, 2021}}. {{PD-notice}}

:**country rank in the world: 22nd

:* Land: {{convert|1246700|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}

:* Water: negligible

; Area comparative

:* Australia comparative: slightly smaller than the Northern Territory

:* Canada comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Manitoba

:* United States comparative: slightly less than three times the size of California

:* EU comparative: slightly less than twice the size of France

Geology

{{main|Geology of Angola}}

Image:Angola Topography.png

There are three regions of rock formations in Angola: the littoral zone, the median zone formed by a series of hills more or less parallel with the coast, and the central plateau.{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Angola|volume=2|pages=38–40}}

The central plateau consists of ancient crystalline rocks with granites overlain by non-fossiliferous sandstones and conglomerates of Paleozoic age. The outcrops are largely hidden under laterite. The median zone is composed largely of crystalline rocks with granites and some Palaeozoic unfossiliferous rocks. The littoral zone contains the only fossiliferous strata. These are of Tertiary and Cretaceous ages, the latter rocks resting on a reddish sandstone of older date. The Cretaceous rocks of the Dombe Grande region (near Benguela) are of Albian age and belong to the Acanthoceras mamillari zone. The beds containing Schloenbachia inflata are referable to the Gault. Rocks of Tertiary age are met with at Dombe Grande, Moçâmedes and near Luanda. The sandstones with gypsum, copper and sulfur of Dombe are doubtfully considered to be of Triassic age. Recent eruptive rocks, mainly basalts, form a line of hills almost bare of vegetation between Benguela and Moçâmedes. Nepheline basalts and liparites occur at Dombe Grande. The presence of gum copal in considerable quantities in the superficial rocks is characteristic of certain regions.

The geology and outline of the west coast of Angola is related to the opening of South Atlantic that started in the Early Cretaceous and continued until the Eocene, which is reflected in the invertebrate and vertebrate fossil fauna.Jacobs, L. L., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Schulp A. S., Gonçalves A. O., & Morais M. L. (2016). Post-Gondwana Africa and the vertebrate history of the Angolan Atlantic Coast. Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 74, 343–362. The diamond mine of Catoca preserved unexpected ancient dinosaur, mammal and crocodylomorph tracks with 128 Million years.Mateus, O., Marzola, M., Schulp, A.S., Jacobs, L.L., Polcyn, M.J., Pervov, V., Gonçalves, A.O. and Morais, M.L., 2017. Angolan ichnosite in a diamond mine shows the presence of a large terrestrial mammaliamorph, a crocodylomorph, and sauropod dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous of Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Capital

Major cities

File:AngolaOverview_S2_2022.png

{{Div col|small=yes}}

{{Div col end}}

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1,600 km

Maritime claims:

  • territorial sea: {{convert|12|nmi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}}
  • contiguous zone: {{convert|24|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in|order=flip}}
  • exclusive economic zone: {{convert|200|nmi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}}

Climate

File:Koppen-Geiger Map AGO present.svg

Like the rest of tropical Africa, Angola experiences distinct, alternating rainy and dry seasons. In the north, the rainy season may last for as long as seven months—usually from September to April, with perhaps a brief slackening in January or February. In the south, the rainy season begins later, in November, and lasts until about February. The dry season (cacimbo) is often characterized by a heavy morning mist. In general, precipitation is higher in the north, but at any latitude it is greater in the interior than along the coast and increases with altitude. Temperatures fall with distance from the equator and with altitude and tend to rise closer to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, at Soyo, at the mouth of the Congo River, the average annual temperature is about {{convert|26|°C|0|disp=or}}, but it is under {{convert|16|°C|0|disp=or}} at Huambo on the temperate central plateau. The coolest months are July and August (in the middle of the dry season), when frost may sometimes form at higher altitudes.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Angola: a country study|publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/90003244/|date=1989|editor-last=Collelo|editor-first=Thomas|pages=57–61|language=English|isbn=|oclc=44357178|postscript=. {{PD-notice}}}}

=Examples=

{{Weather box|location = Luanda (1961-1990, extremes 1879-present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 33.9

|Feb record high C = 34.1

|Mar record high C = 37.2

|Apr record high C = 36.1

|May record high C = 36.1

|Jun record high C = 35.0

|Jul record high C = 28.9

|Aug record high C = 28.3

|Sep record high C = 31.0

|Oct record high C = 31.2

|Nov record high C = 36.1

|Dec record high C = 33.6

|year record high C = 37.2

|Jan high C = 29.5

|Feb high C = 30.5

|Mar high C = 30.7

|Apr high C = 30.2

|May high C = 28.8

|Jun high C = 25.7

|Jul high C = 23.9

|Aug high C = 24.0

|Sep high C = 25.4

|Oct high C = 26.8

|Nov high C = 28.4

|Dec high C = 28.6

|year high C = 27.7

|Jan mean C = 26.7

|Feb mean C = 28.5

|Mar mean C = 28.6

|Apr mean C = 28.2

|May mean C = 27.0

|Jun mean C = 23.9

|Jul mean C = 22.1

|Aug mean C = 22.1

|Sep mean C = 23.5

|Oct mean C = 25.2

|Nov mean C = 26.7

|Dec mean C = 26.9

|year mean C = 25.8

|Jan low C = 23.9

|Feb low C = 24.7

|Mar low C = 24.6

|Apr low C = 24.3

|May low C = 23.3

|Jun low C = 20.3

|Jul low C = 18.7

|Aug low C = 18.8

|Sep low C = 20.2

|Oct low C = 22.0

|Nov low C = 23.3

|Dec low C = 23.5

|year low C = 22.3

|Jan record low C = 18.0

|Feb record low C = 16.1

|Mar record low C = 20.0

|Apr record low C = 17.8

|May record low C = 17.8

|Jun record low C = 12.8

|Jul record low C = 11.0

|Aug record low C = 12.2

|Sep record low C = 15.0

|Oct record low C = 17.8

|Nov record low C = 17.2

|Dec record low C = 17.8

|year record low C = 11.0

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 30

|Feb rain mm = 36

|Mar rain mm = 114

|Apr rain mm = 136

|May rain mm = 16

|Jun rain mm = 0

|Jul rain mm = 0

|Aug rain mm = 1

|Sep rain mm = 2

|Oct rain mm = 7

|Nov rain mm = 32

|Dec rain mm = 31

|Jan humidity = 80

|Feb humidity = 78

|Mar humidity = 80

|Apr humidity = 83

|May humidity = 83

|Jun humidity = 82

|Jul humidity = 83

|Aug humidity = 85

|Sep humidity = 84

|Oct humidity = 81

|Nov humidity = 82

|Dec humidity = 81

|year humidity = 82

|unit rain days = 0.1 mm

|Jan rain days = 4

|Feb rain days = 5

|Mar rain days = 9

|Apr rain days = 11

|May rain days = 2

|Jun rain days = 0

|Jul rain days = 0

|Aug rain days = 1

|Sep rain days = 3

|Oct rain days = 5

|Nov rain days = 8

|Dec rain days = 5

|Jan sun = 217.0

|Feb sun = 203.4

|Mar sun = 207.7

|Apr sun = 192.0

|May sun = 229.4

|Jun sun = 207.0

|Jul sun = 167.4

|Aug sun = 148.8

|Sep sun = 150.0

|Oct sun = 167.4

|Nov sun = 186.0

|Dec sun = 201.5

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 7.0

|Febd sun = 7.2

|Mard sun = 6.7

|Aprd sun = 6.4

|Mayd sun = 7.4

|Jund sun = 6.9

|Juld sun = 5.4

|Augd sun = 4.8

|Sepd sun = 5.0

|Octd sun = 5.4

|Novd sun = 6.2

|Decd sun = 6.5

|yeard sun = 6.2

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_661600_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Luanda, Prov. Luanda / Angola

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 11 June 2016

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190512103602/https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_661600_kt.pdf

| archive-date = 12 May 2019

| url-status = live

}}

|source 2 = Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)

{{cite web

| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1479

| title = Station Luanda

| publisher = Meteo Climat

|language = fr

| access-date = 11 June 2016}}

|date=August 2010

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Huambo (1941–1970)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 31.2

|Feb record high C = 31.1

|Mar record high C = 29.8

|Apr record high C = 29.5

|May record high C = 29.0

|Jun record high C = 28.4

|Jul record high C = 28.5

|Aug record high C = 30.9

|Sep record high C = 32.0

|Oct record high C = 32.0

|Nov record high C = 30.7

|Dec record high C = 30.4

|year record high C = 32.0

|Jan high C = 24.9

|Feb high C = 25.2

|Mar high C = 25.0

|Apr high C = 25.5

|May high C = 25.4

|Jun high C = 24.6

|Jul high C = 25.0

|Aug high C = 27.2

|Sep high C = 28.7

|Oct high C = 27.3

|Nov high C = 25.2

|Dec high C = 24.9

|year high C = 25.7

|Jan mean C = 19.8

|Feb mean C = 19.8

|Mar mean C = 19.8

|Apr mean C = 19.6

|May mean C = 18.0

|Jun mean C = 16.2

|Jul mean C = 16.6

|Aug mean C = 18.8

|Sep mean C = 21.0

|Oct mean C = 20.8

|Nov mean C = 19.8

|Dec mean C = 19.8

|year mean C = 19.2

|Jan low C = 14.4

|Feb low C = 14.2

|Mar low C = 14.4

|Apr low C = 13.7

|May low C = 10.5

|Jun low C = 7.8

|Jul low C = 7.9

|Aug low C = 10.3

|Sep low C = 13.0

|Oct low C = 14.2

|Nov low C = 14.3

|Dec low C = 14.3

|year low C = 12.4

|Jan record low C = 8.9

|Feb record low C = 8.4

|Mar record low C = 9.3

|Apr record low C = 7.4

|May record low C = 4.6

|Jun record low C = 2.1

|Jul record low C = 2.0

|Aug record low C = 4.7

|Sep record low C = 7.7

|Oct record low C = 9.4

|Nov record low C = 7.5

|Dec record low C = 9.2

|year record low C = 2.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 220

|Feb precipitation mm = 179

|Mar precipitation mm = 239

|Apr precipitation mm = 146

|May precipitation mm = 14

|Jun precipitation mm = 0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0

|Aug precipitation mm = 1

|Sep precipitation mm = 19

|Oct precipitation mm = 119

|Nov precipitation mm = 227

|Dec precipitation mm = 234

|year precipitation mm = 1398

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 20

|Feb precipitation days = 17

|Mar precipitation days = 22

|Apr precipitation days = 14

|May precipitation days = 3

|Jun precipitation days = 0

|Jul precipitation days = 0

|Aug precipitation days = 0

|Sep precipitation days = 4

|Oct precipitation days = 16

|Nov precipitation days = 21

|Dec precipitation days = 21

|year precipitation days = 138

|Jan humidity = 72

|Feb humidity = 67

|Mar humidity = 73

|Apr humidity = 66

|May humidity = 48

|Jun humidity = 38

|Jul humidity = 33

|Aug humidity = 29

|Sep humidity = 38

|Oct humidity = 57

|Nov humidity = 69

|Dec humidity = 71

|year humidity = 55

|Jan sun = 142.6

|Feb sun = 141.3

|Mar sun = 142.6

|Apr sun = 171.0

|May sun = 241.8

|Jun sun = 270.0

|Jul sun = 269.7

|Aug sun = 254.2

|Sep sun = 201.0

|Oct sun = 164.3

|Nov sun = 135.0

|Dec sun = 139.5

|year sun = 2273.0

|Jand sun = 4.6

|Febd sun = 5.0

|Mard sun = 4.6

|Aprd sun = 5.7

|Mayd sun = 7.8

|Jund sun = 9.0

|Juld sun = 8.7

|Augd sun = 8.2

|Sepd sun = 6.7

|Octd sun = 5.3

|Novd sun = 4.5

|Decd sun = 4.5

|yeard sun = 6.2

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_663180_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Huambo (Nova Lisboa), Prov. Huambo / Angola

| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 25 January 2016}}

|date=April 2014

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Lubango (1931–1960)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 30.1

|Feb record high C = 30.7

|Mar record high C = 30.1

|Apr record high C = 29.1

|May record high C = 29.8

|Jun record high C = 28.1

|Jul record high C = 27.7

|Aug record high C = 30.1

|Sep record high C = 31.4

|Oct record high C = 34.4

|Nov record high C = 32.0

|Dec record high C = 31.1

|year record high C = 34.4

|Jan high C = 25.0

|Feb high C = 24.6

|Mar high C = 24.6

|Apr high C = 24.9

|May high C = 24.8

|Jun high C = 23.6

|Jul high C = 24.2

|Aug high C = 26.2

|Sep high C = 28.2

|Oct high C = 28.0

|Nov high C = 26.3

|Dec high C = 25.3

|year high C = 25.5

|Jan mean C = 19.0

|Feb mean C = 18.8

|Mar mean C = 18.8

|Apr mean C = 18.7

|May mean C = 17.3

|Jun mean C = 15.8

|Jul mean C = 16.2

|Aug mean C = 18.6

|Sep mean C = 20.8

|Oct mean C = 20.7

|Nov mean C = 19.8

|Dec mean C = 19.2

|year mean C = 18.6

|Jan low C = 13.1

|Feb low C = 12.9

|Mar low C = 13.0

|Apr low C = 12.5

|May low C = 9.8

|Jun low C = 7.9

|Jul low C = 8.3

|Aug low C = 11.0

|Sep low C = 13.4

|Oct low C = 13.4

|Nov low C = 13.2

|Dec low C = 13.2

|year low C = 11.8

|Jan record low C = 5.3

|Feb record low C = 5.4

|Mar record low C = 2.0

|Apr record low C = 3.2

|May record low C = 0.6

|Jun record low C = -1.0

|Jul record low C = -1.0

|Aug record low C = 0.0

|Sep record low C = 4.6

|Oct record low C = 4.1

|Nov record low C = 5.1

|Dec record low C = 3.9

|year record low C = -1.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 139.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 152.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 171.6

|Apr precipitation mm = 93.5

|May precipitation mm = 5.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.1

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 4.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 70.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 118.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 152.6

|year precipitation mm = 909.0

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 15

|Feb precipitation days = 14

|Mar precipitation days = 17

|Apr precipitation days = 10

|May precipitation days = 1

|Jun precipitation days = 0

|Jul precipitation days = 0

|Aug precipitation days = 0

|Sep precipitation days = 2

|Oct precipitation days = 10

|Nov precipitation days = 14

|Dec precipitation days = 17

|year precipitation days = 100

|Jan humidity = 65

|Feb humidity = 67

|Mar humidity = 69

|Apr humidity = 63

|May humidity = 47

|Jun humidity = 40

|Jul humidity = 34

|Aug humidity = 30

|Sep humidity = 33

|Oct humidity = 49

|Nov humidity = 59

|Dec humidity = 63

|year humidity = 52

|Jan sun = 164.3

|Feb sun = 163.9

|Mar sun = 173.6

|Apr sun = 204.0

|May sun = 272.8

|Jun sun = 285.0

|Jul sun = 282.1

|Aug sun = 282.1

|Sep sun = 240.0

|Oct sun = 213.9

|Nov sun = 207.0

|Dec sun = 201.5

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 5.3

|Febd sun = 5.8

|Mard sun = 5.6

|Aprd sun = 6.8

|Mayd sun = 8.8

|Jund sun = 9.5

|Juld sun = 9.1

|Augd sun = 9.1

|Sepd sun = 8.0

|Octd sun = 6.9

|Novd sun = 6.9

|Decd sun = 6.5

|yeard sun = 7.4

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_663900_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Lubango (Sá da Bandeira), Prov. Huila / Angola

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 25 January 2016}}

|date=August 2010

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Lobito

|single line = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|collapsed = Yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 35.0

|Feb record high C = 35.0

|Mar record high C = 34.4

|Apr record high C = 35.6

|May record high C = 33.3

|Jun record high C = 33.3

|Jul record high C = 28.9

|Aug record high C = 29.4

|Sep record high C = 28.3

|Oct record high C = 30.6

|Nov record high C = 33.9

|Dec record high C = 32.8

|year record high C = 35.6

|Jan high C = 28.3

|Feb high C = 29.4

|Mar high C = 30.6

|Apr high C = 30.0

|May high C = 28.3

|Jun high C = 25.6

|Jul high C = 23.3

|Aug high C = 23.3

|Sep high C = 24.4

|Oct high C = 26.1

|Nov high C = 28.3

|Dec high C = 28.3

|year high C = 27.2

|Jan mean C = 25.3

|Feb mean C = 26.4

|Mar mean C = 27.2

|Apr mean C = 27.0

|May mean C = 25.0

|Jun mean C = 22.2

|Jul mean C = 20.3

|Aug mean C = 20.0

|Sep mean C = 21.4

|Oct mean C = 23.3

|Nov mean C = 25.3

|Dec mean C = 25.3

|year mean C = 24.1

|Jan low C = 22.2

|Feb low C = 23.3

|Mar low C = 23.9

|Apr low C = 23.9

|May low C = 21.6

|Jun low C = 18.9

|Jul low C = 17.2

|Aug low C = 16.7

|Sep low C = 18.3

|Oct low C = 20.6

|Nov low C = 22.2

|Dec low C = 22.2

|year low C = 20.9

|Jan record low C = 13.3

|Feb record low C = 16.1

|Mar record low C = 18.9

|Apr record low C = 18.3

|May record low C = 13.9

|Jun record low C = 12.8

|Jul record low C = 10.6

|Aug record low C = 11.7

|Sep record low C = 12.8

|Oct record low C = 13.9

|Nov record low C = 16.1

|Dec record low C = 17.2

|year record low C = 10.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 20.3

|Feb precipitation mm = 38.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 119.4

|Apr precipitation mm = 53.3

|May precipitation mm = 2.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 1.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 2.5

|Oct precipitation mm = 30.5

|Nov precipitation mm = 25.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 61.0

|year precipitation mm = 354.0

|source 1 = Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial{{cite web

| url = http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/pdf/an-lobit.pdf

| title = Lobito (Angola)

| publisher = Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas

| access-date = February 6, 2016

| archive-date = February 7, 2016

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207110448/http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/pdf/an-lobit.pdf

| url-status = dead

}}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Moçâmedes

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 34.8

|Feb record high C = 34.2

|Mar record high C = 37.4

|Apr record high C = 38.9

|May record high C = 40.3

|Jun record high C = 38.5

|Jul record high C = 36.7

|Aug record high C = 27.3

|Sep record high C = 30.0

|Oct record high C = 30.0

|Nov record high C = 33.7

|Dec record high C = 31.7

|year record high C = 40.3

|Jan high C = 27.0

|Feb high C = 28.0

|Mar high C = 28.9

|Apr high C = 27.9

|May high C = 25.8

|Jun high C = 22.4

|Jul high C = 20.6

|Aug high C = 20.9

|Sep high C = 22.4

|Oct high C = 23.6

|Nov high C = 25.3

|Dec high C = 25.9

|year high C = 24.9

|Jan mean C = 23.0

|Feb mean C = 24.7

|Mar mean C = 25.6

|Apr mean C = 24.2

|May mean C = 21.1

|Jun mean C = 18.3

|Jul mean C = 17.4

|Aug mean C = 17.9

|Sep mean C = 19.2

|Oct mean C = 20.4

|Nov mean C = 21.9

|Dec mean C = 22.5

|year mean C = 21.4

|Jan low C = 19.1

|Feb low C = 19.8

|Mar low C = 20.7

|Apr low C = 18.7

|May low C = 14.7

|Jun low C = 12.8

|Jul low C = 13.0

|Aug low C = 13.8

|Sep low C = 14.9

|Oct low C = 15.9

|Nov low C = 17.1

|Dec low C = 17.7

|year low C = 16.5

|Jan record low C = 13.0

|Feb record low C = 12.1

|Mar record low C = 12.6

|Apr record low C = 10.2

|May record low C = 7.4

|Jun record low C = 4.5

|Jul record low C = 6.5

|Aug record low C = 5.2

|Sep record low C = 7.2

|Oct record low C = 8.2

|Nov record low C = 10.5

|Dec record low C = 11.2

|year record low C = 4.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 7.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 10.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 17.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 9.7

|May precipitation mm = 0.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.1

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.2

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 1.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 2.1

|Dec precipitation mm = 2.9

|year precipitation mm = 51.0

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 2

|Feb precipitation days = 2

|Mar precipitation days = 3

|Apr precipitation days = 2

|May precipitation days = 0

|Jun precipitation days = 0

|Jul precipitation days = 0

|Aug precipitation days = 1

|Sep precipitation days = 0

|Oct precipitation days = 1

|Nov precipitation days = 1

|Dec precipitation days = 1

|year precipitation days = 13

|Jan humidity = 80

|Feb humidity = 79

|Mar humidity = 78

|Apr humidity = 79

|May humidity = 82

|Jun humidity = 84

|Jul humidity = 84

|Aug humidity = 85

|Sep humidity = 84

|Oct humidity = 83

|Nov humidity = 80

|Dec humidity = 79

|year humidity = 81

|Jan sun = 210.8

|Feb sun = 209.1

|Mar sun = 232.5

|Apr sun = 231.0

|May sun = 217.0

|Jun sun = 141.0

|Jul sun = 105.4

|Aug sun = 111.6

|Sep sun = 129.0

|Oct sun = 155.0

|Nov sun = 213.0

|Dec sun = 220.1

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 6.8

|Febd sun = 7.4

|Mard sun = 7.5

|Aprd sun = 7.7

|Mayd sun = 7.0

|Jund sun = 4.7

|Juld sun = 3.4

|Augd sun = 3.6

|Sepd sun = 4.3

|Octd sun = 5.0

|Novd sun = 7.1

|Decd sun = 7.1

|yeard sun = 6.0

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_664220_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Namibe (Mocamedes), Prov. Namibe / Angola

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 6 February 2016}}

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Luena, Moxico Province (1940–1960)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|collapsed = yes

|width = auto

|Jan record high C = 32.7

|Feb record high C = 32.4

|Mar record high C = 32.0

|Apr record high C = 33.4

|May record high C = 32.0

|Jun record high C = 31.0

|Jul record high C = 30.0

|Aug record high C = 33.5

|Sep record high C = 35.0

|Oct record high C = 34.3

|Nov record high C = 34.0

|Dec record high C = 32.4

|year record high C = 35.0

|Jan high C = 26.9

|Feb high C = 27.0

|Mar high C = 26.8

|Apr high C = 27.3

|May high C = 27.1

|Jun high C = 25.7

|Jul high C = 26.2

|Aug high C = 28.8

|Sep high C = 30.8

|Oct high C = 29.6

|Nov high C = 27.3

|Dec high C = 26.9

|year high C = 27.5

|Jan mean C = 21.8

|Feb mean C = 21.7

|Mar mean C = 21.6

|Apr mean C = 21.4

|May mean C = 19.4

|Jun mean C = 17.2

|Jul mean C = 17.4

|Aug mean C = 20.0

|Sep mean C = 22.6

|Oct mean C = 22.9

|Nov mean C = 21.8

|Dec mean C = 21.6

|year mean C = 20.8

|Jan low C = 16.6

|Feb low C = 16.4

|Mar low C = 16.3

|Apr low C = 15.5

|May low C = 11.8

|Jun low C = 8.8

|Jul low C = 8.7

|Aug low C = 11.5

|Sep low C = 14.5

|Oct low C = 16.2

|Nov low C = 16.2

|Dec low C = 16.4

|year low C = 14.0

|Jan record low C = 11.0

|Feb record low C = 10.7

|Mar record low C = 12.3

|Apr record low C = 9.1

|May record low C = 3.9

|Jun record low C = 3.1

|Jul record low C = 2.7

|Aug record low C = 4.6

|Sep record low C = 8.7

|Oct record low C = 11.0

|Nov record low C = 11.0

|Dec record low C = 11.5

|year record low C = 2.7

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 226

|Feb precipitation mm = 192

|Mar precipitation mm = 198

|Apr precipitation mm = 99

|May precipitation mm = 6

|Jun precipitation mm = 0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0

|Aug precipitation mm = 2

|Sep precipitation mm = 20

|Oct precipitation mm = 90

|Nov precipitation mm = 169

|Dec precipitation mm = 217

|year precipitation mm = 1219

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 22

|Feb precipitation days = 20

|Mar precipitation days = 23

|Apr precipitation days = 12

|May precipitation days = 2

|Jun precipitation days = 0

|Jul precipitation days = 0

|Aug precipitation days = 0

|Sep precipitation days = 3

|Oct precipitation days = 13

|Nov precipitation days = 20

|Dec precipitation days = 23

|year precipitation days = 138

|Jan humidity = 77

|Feb humidity = 77

|Mar humidity = 77

|Apr humidity = 71

|May humidity = 57

|Jun humidity = 47

|Jul humidity = 42

|Aug humidity = 39

|Sep humidity = 44

|Oct humidity = 61

|Nov humidity = 74

|Dec humidity = 77

|year humidity = 62

|Jan sun = 130.2

|Feb sun = 130.0

|Mar sun = 142.6

|Apr sun = 192.0

|May sun = 263.5

|Jun sun = 270.0

|Jul sun = 285.2

|Aug sun = 269.7

|Sep sun = 213.0

|Oct sun = 176.7

|Nov sun = 135.0

|Dec sun = 124.0

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 4.2

|Febd sun = 4.6

|Mard sun = 4.6

|Aprd sun = 6.4

|Mayd sun = 8.5

|Jund sun = 9.0

|Juld sun = 9.2

|Augd sun = 8.7

|Sepd sun = 7.1

|Octd sun = 5.7

|Novd sun = 4.5

|Decd sun = 4.0

|yeard sun = 6.4

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_662850_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Luena (Luso), Prov. Moxico / Angola

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 6 February 2016}}

}}

Terrain

class="infobox"

! Land use

| (2018)

Arable land

| 3.9%

Permanent crops

| 0.3%

Permanent pasture

!41.5%

Forest

!54.3%

Angola has four principal natural regions: the arid coastal lowland, stretching from Namibia to Luanda and characterized by low plains and terraces; green hills and mountains, rising inland from the coast into a great escarpment; a large area of high inland plains of dry savanna, called the high plateau (planalto), which extends eastward and south-east from the escarpment; and rain forest in the north and in Cabinda.{{Cite web|date=December 2001|title=Background Note: Angola|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6619.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605220209/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6619.htm|archive-date=June 5, 2002|publisher=U.S. Department of State|postscript=. {{PD-notice}}}} The highest point in Angola is Morro de Môco, at 2,620 m. Elevations generally range from {{convert|3000|to|6000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}. Angola had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.35/10, ranking it 23rd globally out of 172 countries.{{cite journal |last1=Grantham |first1=H. S. |last2=Duncan |first2=A. |last3=Evans |first3=T. D. |last4=Jones |first4=K. R. |last5=Beyer |first5=H. L. |last6=Schuster |first6=R. |last7=Walston |first7=J. |last8=Ray |first8=J. C. |last9=Robinson |first9=J. G. |last10=Callow |first10=M. |last11=Clements |first11=T. |last12=Costa |first12=H. M. |last13=DeGemmis |first13=A. |last14=Elsen |first14=P. R. |last15=Ervin |first15=J. |year=2020 |title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=5978 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=7723057 |pmid=33293507 |bibcode-access=free |doi-access=free |last16=Franco |first16=P. |last17=Goldman |first17=E. |last18=Goetz |first18=S. |last19=Hansen |first19=A. |last20=Hofsvang |first20=E. |last21=Jantz |first21=P. |last22=Jupiter |first22=S. |last23=Kang |first23=A. |last24=Langhammer |first24=P. |last25=Laurance |first25=W. F. |last26=Lieberman |first26=S. |last27=Linkie |first27=M. |last28=Malhi |first28=Y. |last29=Maxwell |first29=S. |last30=Mendez |first30=M. |last31=Mittermeier |first31=R. |last32=Murray |first32=N. J. |last33=Possingham |first33=H. |last34=Radachowsky |first34=J. |last35=Saatchi |first35=S. |last36=Samper |first36=C. |last37=Silverman |first37=J. |last38=Shapiro |first38=A. |last39=Strassburg |first39=B. |last40=Stevens |first40=T. |last41=Stokes |first41=E. |last42=Taylor |first42=R. |last43=Tear |first43=T. |last44=Tizard |first44=R. |last45=Venter |first45=O. |last46=Visconti |first46=P. |last47=Wang |first47=S. |last48=Watson |first48=J. E. M.}} In Angola forest cover is around 53% of the total land area, equivalent to 66,607,380 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 79,262,780 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 65,800,190 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 807,200 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 40% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 3% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership. {{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Angola |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/AGO/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}

=Coastal lowland=

The coast is for the most part flat, with occasional low cliffs and bluffs of red sandstone. There is but one deep inlet of the sea – Great Fish Bay (or Baía dos Tigres). Farther north are Port Alexander, Little Fish Bay and Lobito Bay, while shallower bays are numerous. Lobito Bay has water sufficient to allow large ships to unload close inshore. The coastal lowland rises from the sea in a series of low terraces. This region varies in width from about {{Convert|25|km}} near Benguela to more than {{Convert|150|km}} in the Cuanza River Valley just south of Angola's capital, Luanda, and is markedly different from Angola's highland mass. The Atlantic Ocean's cold, northwardflowing Benguela Current substantially reduces precipitation along the coast, making the region relatively arid or nearly so south of Benguela (where it forms the northern extension of the Namib Desert), and quite dry even in its northern reaches. Even where, as around Luanda, the average annual rainfall may be as much as fifty centimeters, it is not uncommon for the rains to fail. Given this pattern of precipitation, the far south is marked by sand dunes, which give way to dry scrub along the middle coast. Portions of the northern coastal plain are covered by thick brush.

=Hills and mountains=

The approach to the great central plateau of Africa is marked by the west-central highlands, a series of irregular escarpments and cuestas parallel to the coast at distances ranging from {{Convert|20|to|100|km}} inland. The Cuanza River divides the mountain zone into two parts. The northern part rises gradually from the coastal zone to an average elevation of {{convert|500|m}}, with crests as high as {{convert|1000|to|1800|m}}. South of the Cuanza River, the hills rise sharply from the coastal lowlands and form a high escarpment, extending from a point east of Luanda and running south through Namibia. The highest peak is Mount Moco ({{convert|2620|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}),{{Fact|date=November 2021}} and the escarpment is steepest in the far south in the Serra da Chella mountain range. In Benguela Province other high points are Loviti ({{convert|2370|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}), in 12° 5' S., and Mount Elonga ({{convert|2300|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}). South of the Cuanza is the volcanic mountain Caculo-Cabaza ({{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}).

=High plateau=

The high plateau, with an altitude ranging from {{convert|1200|to|1800|m|abbr=on}}, lies to the east of the hills and mountains and dominates Angola's terrain. The surface of the plateau is typically flat or rolling, but parts of the Benguela Plateau and the Humpata Highland area of the Hufla Plateau in the south reach heights of {{Convert|2500|m}} and more. The Malanje Plateau to the north rarely exceeds {{Convert|1000|m}} in height. The Benguela Plateau and the coastal area in the immediate environs of Benguela and Lobito, the Bie Plateau, the Malanje Plateau, and a small section of the Hufla Plateau near the town of Lubango have long been among the most densely settled areas in Angola.

Drainage

The Zambezi River and several tributaries of the Congo River have their sources in Angola. A large number of rivers originate in the central uplands, but their patterns of flow are diverse and their ultimate outlets varied. A number flow in a more or less westerly course to the Atlantic Ocean, providing water for irrigation in the dry coastal strip and the potential for hydroelectric power, only some of which had been realized by 1988.{{Update-inline|date=November 2021}} Two of Angola's most important rivers, the Cuanza (Kwanza) and the Cunene (Kunene), take a more indirect route to the Atlantic, the Cuanza flowing north and the Cunene flowing south before turning west. The Cuanza is the only river wholly within Angola that is navigable—for nearly 200 kilometers from its mouth—by boats of commercially or militarily significant size. The Congo River, whose mouth and western end form a small portion of Angola's northern border with Zaire, is also navigable.

North of the Lunda Divide the Kwango and many other streams flow north from the tableland to join the Kasai River (one of the largest affluents of the Congo), which in its upper course forms for fully {{convert|300|mi|km|abbr=on}} the boundary between Angola and the Congo. South of the divide some rivers flow into the Zambezi River system and thence to the Indian Ocean, others to the Okavango River (as the Cubango River is called along the border with Namibia and in Botswana) and thence to the Okavango Swamp in Botswana. The tributaries of the Cubango River and several of the southern rivers flowing to the Atlantic are seasonal, completely dry much of the year.

Land use and hazards

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

Irrigated land: {{Convert|860|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} (2014)

Natural hazards: locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Environmental issues

Current environmental issues include 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 silting of rivers and dams; and inadequate supplies of potable water.

Angola is party to the following international environmental agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78).

= Climate change =

Due to climate change, Angola's annual average temperature has increased by 1.4.°C since 1951, and is expected to keep rising.{{Cite web |last=World Bank |date=2022 |title=Angola: Country Climate and Development Report |url=https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f5d0bae7-8230-5d41-8466-b5031de9741e |access-date=9 December 2024 |publication-place=Washington}} The interior and eastern regions are expected to heat up faster than the western coastal areas. Extremely hot days are projected to occur 2 - 4 times more often by the 2060s, while rainfall is becoming more variable.{{Cite web |last=USAID |title=Climate change Adaption in ANGOLA |url=https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/angola_adaptation_fact_sheet_jan2012.pdf |access-date=9 December 2024}} Angola is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.{{Cite web |last=Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative |title=ND-GAIN Rankings |url=https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/ |access-date=9 December 2024}} Natural hazards such as floods, erosion, droughts, and epidemics (e.g.: malaria, cholera and typhoid fever) are expected to worsen with climate change. Southern Angola has experienced several severe droughts over the last decade, resulting in food and water scarcity.{{Cite web |last=FEWS |date=2024 |title=Angola Remote Monitoring Report June 2024: Crisis (IPC Phase 3) likely to persist amid high prices and drought, 2024. |url=https://fews.net/southern-africa/angola/remote-monitoring-report/june-2024#:~:text=Droughts%20have%20frequently%20occurred%20in,which%20negatively%20impacted%20household%20livelihoods. |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=fews.net |language=en}} Rising sea levels also pose a significant risk to Angola's coastal areas, where around 50% of the population lives.{{Cite web |last=World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal |title=Angola |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/angola |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}}

In 2023 Angola emitted 174.71 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, around 0.32% of the world's total emissions, making it the 46th highest emitting country.{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Matthew W. |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia |last10=Le Quéré |first10=Corinne |date=2023-03-29 |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850 |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |journal=Scientific Data |volume=10 |issue=1 |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |issn=2052-4463|hdl=11250/3119366 |hdl-access=free }} In its Nationally Determined Contribution, Angola has pledged a 14% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and an additional 10% reduction conditional on international support.{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch |title=Angola |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/AGO?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}} According to the World Bank, achieving climate resilience in Angola requires diversifying the country's economy away from its dependence on oil.

Flora and fauna

{{main|Wildlife of Angola}}

Both flora and fauna are those characteristic of the greater part of tropical Africa. As far south as Benguela the coast region is rich in oil palms and mangroves. In the northern part of the province are dense forests. In the South towards the Kunene are regions of dense thorn scrub. Rubber vines and trees are abundant, but in some districts their number has been considerably reduced by the primitive methods adopted by native collectors of rubber. The species most common are various root rubbers, notably the Carpodinus chylorrhiza. This species and other varieties of carpodinus are very widely distributed. Landolphias are also found. The coffee, cotton and Guinea pepper plants are indigenous, and the tobacco plant flourishes in several districts. Among the trees are several which yield excellent timber, such as the tacula (Pterocarpus tinctorius), which grows to an immense size, its wood being blood-red in colour, and the Angola mahogany. The bark of the musuemba (Albizzia coriaria) is largely used in the tanning of leather. The mulundo bears a fruit about the size of a cricket ball covered with a hard green shell and containing scarlet pips like a pomegranate.

The fauna includes the lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, buffalo, zebra, kudu and many other kinds of antelope, wild pig, ostrich and crocodile. Angola previously served as a habitat for the endangered African wild dog,C. Michael Hogan. 2009. [http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 |date=December 9, 2010 }} which is now deemed to be extinct within the entire country, stemming from human activities during the period 1965 to 1991.{{Fact|date=November 2021}} Among fish are the barbel, bream and African yellow fish.

=Ecoregions =

{{main|List of ecoregions in Angola}}

The following ecoregions have been described in Angola:

Geography – note: the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Angola, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

Angola

Angola (mainland)

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{wikiatlas|Angola}}

{{Angola topics}}

{{Geography of Africa}}

{{Africa topic|Climate of}}