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Former Portuguese colony, Angola is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and borders in the north and north-east with Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the south-east and south with the Zambia and Namibia.
The Angola, has as its capital Luanda, and is divided into 18 provinces. It also includes Cabinda, an enclave situated between the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa).
With an area of 1,246,700 km², Angola is the twenty-third largest country in the world. It is approximately as large as Mali and about four times more extended than Italy. The country has 1600 km of Atlantic coast.
The capital, Luanda, lies on the coast in the northwestern part of the country.
Angolan territory is characterized by a band of highlands, the largest of which is to Bié, which crosses it from north to south.
The average altitude is between 700 and 1000 m above sea level, on the western side of the plateau is bordered by a mountain ridge that reaches the highest altitude with the Morro de Moco (2620 m).
Towards the coast the escarpment is abrupt and slopes rapidly toward the narrow strip of coastal plains, wide from 50 to 100 km. On the eastern side, towards the interior of the continent, the highlands slope down gently towards the Zambezi basin.
The territory is characterized by vast savannas, where much of the population is concentrated because of the rich fertile soil and good climate.
In the south east there is an arid area towards the Kalahari Desert, they are an exception the valleys Cuando, Cubango and Cunene on the banks of which lands are arable and exploitable for stock farm.