Angola vs. Republic of the Congo
Geography
| Angola | Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo | Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon |
| Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 18 30 E | 1 00 S, 15 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,246,700 sq km land: 1,246,700 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about eight times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Texas | slightly smaller than Montana; about twice the size of Florida |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,369 km border countries (4): Democratic Republic of the Congo 2646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 231 km, Namibia 1427 km, Zambia 1065 km | total: 5,554 km border countries (5): Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1775 km, Gabon 2567 km |
| Coastline | 1,600 km | 169 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April) | tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau | coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Moca 2,620 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 1,112 m | highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 430 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 45.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.) forest: 54.3% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 31.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 29.3% (2018 est.) forest: 65.6% (2018 est.) other: 3.3% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 860 sq km (2014) | 20 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau | seasonal flooding |
| 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 | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation; wildlife protection |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: 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-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands 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 | about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them |
| Total renewable water resources | 148.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 832 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda as shown in this population distribution map | the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
