Angola Neighbouring Countries on the Map

Angola’s Neighboring Countries

Angola, chillin’ in Southern Africa, rubs shoulders with several countries, adding its own flavor to the regional mix. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Southern Border Neighbors

So, down south, Angola’s got Namibia as its neighbor. This connection’s like one of those bonds that keeps trade hustlin’ and the region buzzing.

Country	Direction
Namibia	South
Zambia	East
Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)	North
Atlantic Ocean	West

Wanna check out some deets? Hit up the CIA World Factbook.

Eastern Border Neighbors

Swinging over to the east, we meet Zambia. Their border’s got something swell with water resources, thanks to the Zambezi River sneaking around that area.

Country	Direction
Zambia	East

Need more scoop? Scope Britannica.

Northern Border Neighbors

Heading up north, Angola’s hanging with both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). These northern ties sure stir quite a bit of political and trading soup.

Country	Direction
Democratic Republic of the Congo	North
Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)	North

Curious cats can see more at the Council on Foreign Relations.

These buddies around Angola add to its economic tales and its place in the bigger African picture. Got those brain juices flowing? Compare with Afghanistan’s neighbors or peek at Algeria’s adjacent pals for some wider world vibes.

Geographic Features and Neighbors

Angola’s geography is painted by its rich variety of natural landmarks and the countries that hug its borders. From lush rainforests to harsh deserts, each feature tells its own story.

The Congo River Basin

In Angola’s northern slice of land, you’ll find part of the massive Congo River Basin. This sprawling area, about 1,400,000 square miles of lush greenery, is a green haven that hosts nearly a fifth of the planet’s rainforests. It’s not just trees and plants – this place buzzes with life thanks to its incredible biodiversity.

The Namib Desert

Down in the southwest, the Namib Desert draws a line along Angola’s border, stretching for over 1,200 miles along the coast. Recognized for its breathtaking, sweeping dunes and harsh, dry climate, this ancient desert, one of the world’s oldest, also touches Namibia and South Africa, adding a unique touch to their coastal views.

The Sahara Desert

Though mostly found further north, the giant Sahara Desert dips into Angola’s neighborhood. Covering around 3,500,000 square miles, it stands as the largest hot desert on Earth. Even if Angola only catches a hint of its southern edge, the Sahara leaves its mark, subtly affecting local climates and environments.

The Sahel Region

Bridging the hot dunes of the Sahara and the greener lands to the south is the Sahel. It’s a semi-dry belt that meanders through Africa’s midsection, including bits of Angola. With its grassy savannas, the Sahel supports agriculture and livestock, crucial for many nearby communities.

Geographic Feature	Area Covered	Notable Characteristics	Neighboring Countries Affected
Congo River Basin	1,400,000 sq. miles	Major rainforest area	Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
Namib Desert	Over 2,000 km	Oldest desert, coastal sand dunes	Namibia, South Africa
Sahara Desert	Approximately 3,500,000 sq. miles	Largest hot desert	Various countries across northern Africa
Sahel Region	Crosses north-central Africa	Semi-arid, transitional zone	Various countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger

For a peek into the neighbors of other lands, check out articles on Afghanistan’s neighbors, Albania’s neighbors, and Argentina’s neighbors.

Rivers and Sources in Angola

Angola’s got some impressive rivers running through it, weaving their way through the heart of the place like nature’s own highways. Two of the big shots in this watery ensemble are the Zambezi River and those tributaries that love feeding into the Congo River.

The Zambezi River

Zambezi River ain’t just any river; it’s a star player in Africa’s lineup. Starting off its journey in the central highlands of Angola, it meanders through a bunch of countries before finally spilling into the Indian Ocean. Along its path, it keeps the lights on—literally—by fueling agriculture and powering up hydroelectric plants. It’s a lifeline for flora, fauna, and humans alike (Wikipedia).

River Name	Source Location	Length (km)	Flows Through
Zambezi River	Central Angola	2,574	Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

Tributaries of the Congo River

Now, the Congo River loves its company, and it finds some good friends in the tributaries born in Angola. These rivers aren’t just hanging around for fun; they feed into one of the planet’s mightiest drainage systems.

The Kasai River

The Kasai River kicks off in Angola, then heads over to make its mark in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s like a trusty sidekick, indispensable for farming and getting stuff moved around (CIA World Factbook).

The Cuango River

Don’t sleep on the Cuango River either. It originates up north in Angola, carving a path through the landscape before cozying up with the Kasai over in the Congo.

River Name	Source Location	Length (km)	Flows Through
Kasai River	Central Angola	2,153	Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cuango River	Northern Angola	1,100	Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo

These rivers have quite the impact, shaping Angola’s geography and rippling effects over the neighbors. Curious about the borders? Peek into democratic republic of the congo neighboring countries and zambia neighboring countries for the whole picture.

Navigating through Angola’s rivers like the Zambezi and those Congo tributaries, it’s clear they’ve got this interconnected vibe going on with countries like Namibia and Zambia (World Bank). If you fancy more on who’s rubbing shoulders with who in that neck of the woods, see our reads on south africa neighboring countries.

Natural Regions of Angola

Angola, chilling out on the southwest coast of Africa, shows off some seriously different natural zones. We’re talking about desert-like coasts, plush hills and peaks, and giant high-up plains. Getting a grip on these areas gives you the inside scoop on Angola’s lands and nature vibes.

Arid Coastal Lowland

The dry stretch of coast runs along Angola’s west side. This place is all about the dry heat, hardly sees a drop of rain, and there’s not much green stuff growing around. Farming here can be tough, but that’s what makes it a one-of-a-kind spot.

What’s It Got	Description
Climate	Dry as a bone
Rainfall	Hardly any
Vegetation	Pretty bare

These coastal stretches matter because they connect Angola with the Atlantic Ocean. That’s a big deal for shipping and trading, keeping the country on the map with folks abroad. Wanna see how this helps Angola’s cash flow? Check out our info on Economic Impact on Neighboring Countries.

Green Hills and Mountains

Totally opposite of the dry coast, Angola’s green hills and peaks are all about growth and bloom. They get much more rain, featuring all kinds of plants and critters. You’ll find rolling hills, valleys, with some tall peaks poking out, which is quite the change from the coast scene.

What’s It Got	Description
Climate	Nice and humid
Rainfall	From moderate to lots
Vegetation	Lush and dense

These green spots are big players in farming, thanks to all that good land. Curious about how Angola grows its greens? Hit up World Bank’s overview on Angola.

High Inland Plains

Angola’s high inland plains, or the high plateau, is where it’s dry savanna all the way. These plains sit up high and are on the drier side, home mostly to grasslands and shrubs.

What’s It Got	Description
Climate	Dry savanna vibes
Elevation	Nice and high
Vegetation	Grass and shrubs galore

These high plains are important for adding variety to Angola’s farming scene and have room for livestock too. See how these plains play a role in Angola’s economy by checking out Angola’s Major Resources.

Taking a peek at these areas gives you a feel for Angola’s mixed-up landscape and the different flavors of the environment shaping it. For more about the geography of other places, don’t miss our sections on Afghanistan neighboring countries, Albania neighboring countries, and Argentina neighboring countries.

Angola’s Exclave Province

The province of Cabinda, sticking out like a puzzle piece of Angola, offers an unexpected twist to the layout of the country.

Location of Cabinda

Cabinda hangs out north of mainland Angola, and unlike the rest of the country, it’s separated by the slender area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This quirky spot makes Cabinda not only stick out geographically, but also adds a level of strategic spark to its existence.

Have a look at the neighborhood of Cabinda:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo humming along to the south.
• Republic of the Congo scooting in from the north.

Separation from Mainland Angola

Back in the colonial days, treaties and maps did their thing, cutting Cabinda off from the main bit of Angola, crafting an exclave vibe. So, even though it’s flying Angola’s flag, Cabinda’s perch means it hangs out with a different crowd than the rest of the country.

Here’s a quick glance at Cabinda’s crew compared to the bigger Angola family:

Territory	Neighbors
Mainland Angola	Namibia (kicking it in the south), Democratic Republic of the Congo (north), Zambia (chillin’ in the east), Atlantic Ocean (waving from the west)
Cabinda (Exclave)	Democratic Republic of the Congo (south), Republic of the Congo (north)

The way Cabinda is parked on the map ramps up its value both economically and strategically. You can dive more into the nitty-gritty of Angola’s relationships with its neighbors in our deep dives on democratic republic of the congo neighbouring countries and republic of the congo neighbouring countries.

Cabinda’s one-of-a-kind slot on the globe has a big say in how it grows and gets along with its neighbors. To get the full picture of Angola’s geography and its neighborhood connections, don’t miss out on our insights about algeria neighbouring countries and benin neighbouring countries.

Economic Impact on Neighboring Countries

Angola’s got a treasure trove of natural goodies and some pretty sweet deals with trading partners that have a ripple effect on the economies next door. Let’s take a look into what makes Angola tick and how its influence spreads beyond its borders in Central Africa.

Angola’s Major Resources

When it comes to natural wealth, Angola’s sitting on a goldmine—that is, if you count oil, diamonds, and other shiny stuff. These resources are the lifeline of Angola’s economy. The land is rich with oil fields, diamond mines, and not to mention a smattering of iron ore, phosphates, and other minerals like copper and gold. Even agriculture’s got room to grow with ideal land for farming and grazing. Just imagine the possibilities (Permanent Mission of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations) (World Bank).

Resource	Description
Oil	Top dog of all resources, huge piece of the GDP cake.
Diamonds	Sparkling export that brings home the bacon.
Iron Ore	Plenty in the ground waiting to be turned into moolah.
Phosphates	Farmers’ secret weapon for better crops.
Copper, Feldspar, Gold, Bauxite, Uranium	Versatile gems for the industry world.

Trade Partners and Investments

Money talks, and Angola’s got a lot to say with its trade and investment game, chatting it up with big players like China, the European Union, and the United States. Each has a stake in Angola’s wealth (Wikipedia).

Trade Partner	Trade Value	Description
China	$27.67 billion (2011)	Numero uno for trade and place to ship Angola’s goodies.
European Union	Big cheese in terms of foreign investment.
United States	Solid as a rock in the oil and diamond world.

Angola’s trying out something new, helping local farmers turn tiny plots into bountiful lands. With a hand from the World Bank, they’re rolling out a plan to strengthen farming against climatic ups and downs and ramp up food availability. By August 2024, this effort kickstarted about 800 Farmer Field Schools in five provinces, making a difference for 18,000 farmers and shooting for more—112,500 to be spot on.

With all this hustle and bustle, it’s no surprise Angola’s moves shake up the neighboring economies too. Passing trade goods, shared labor opportunities, and team-up economic plans mean hot spots like Namibia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo catch some good vibes from Angola through boosted trade, new jobs, and friendly economic alliances.

Wanna dive deeper into the nitty-gritty? Check out what’s happening with China’s neighboring countries or what’s up with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s neighbors. These resources spill more beans on how trade and neighborly connections work in these regions.