Angola is rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002.

Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi, followed independence from Portugal in 1975.

Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting.

Savimbi's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on power.

While President Dos Santos had pledged to hold legislative elections in 2007, he has since announced that legislative elections will be held in 2008, with Presidential elections planned for 2009.

A specific election timetable has yet to be established.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 12,263,596 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,706,276/female 2,654,338) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 3,339,114/female 3,225,121) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 149,414/female 189,333) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 17.9 years male: 17.9 years female: 17.9 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.184% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 44.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 24.81 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.035 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.789 male(s)/female total population: 1.021 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 184.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 196.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 171.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 37.63 years male: 36.73 years female: 38.57 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 6.27 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.9% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 21,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Angolan(s) adjective: Angolan

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Ethnic groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

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Religions: indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)

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Languages: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.4% male: 82.9% female: 54.2% (2001 est.)

Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about half of GDP and 90% of exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004, 19% growth in 2005, and nearly 14% growth in 2006. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to about 13% in 2006, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms and to reduce corruption. The government has made little progress on reforms recommended by the IMF, such as promoting greater transparency in government spending, and continues to be without a formal monitoring agreement with the institution. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, is a major challenge facing Angola.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $54.65 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $28.88 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 16.1% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,500 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.6% industry: 65.8% services: 24.6% (2005 est.)

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Labor force: 6.393 million (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 85% industry and services: 15% (2003 est.)

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Unemployment rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 70% (2003 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 14.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $10.98 billion expenditures: $9.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $963 million (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 32.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish

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Industries: petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair

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Industrial production growth rate: 13.5% (2004 est.)

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Electricity - production: 2.194 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 2.04 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 1.6 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 48,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 5.412 billion bbl (1 January 2005 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 750 million cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 750 million cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 45.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: $7.7 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $35.53 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

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Exports - partners: US 38.6%, China 34.7%, France 4.9%, Chile 4.2% (2006)

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Imports: $10.21 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods

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Imports - partners: South Korea 17.3%, US 14.3%, Portugal 14.1%, China 8.3%, South Africa 6.3%, Brazil 5.9%, France 5.8% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.75 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $11.24 billion (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $383.5 million (1999)

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Currency (code): kwanza (AOA)

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Exchange rates: kwanza per US dollar - 80.4 (2006), 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004), 74.606 (2003), 43.53 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year