Geography, Climate and Nature in Angola
Angola is located on the western coast of Southern Africa between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. The country is surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as Zambia. The geography of Angola basically consists of thinly watered coastal plains that extend inland roughly about 30 to 100 miles. There is a belt of hills and mountains located inland and parallel to the coastline. Behind those hills and mountains is a very large plateau. Angola's geographic coordinates are 12 degrees 30 South by 18 degrees 30 east. The coastline is about 1600 Km and the land boundaries are 5,198 km. The highest point of Angola is Mount Moco, which stands at 2,620 miles.
The terrain of Angola is coastal lowlands, hills and mountains. The natural resources are Petroleum, Diamonds, Iron Ore, Uranium, Gold and Copper to name a few. Though a beautiful place, they do have environmental issues of their own, such as Deforestation, Overgrazing of the Meadows Air Pollution and Waste Disposal. The area of land of Angola is 1,246,700 square miles and all of that is land there is no water. Some of the major cities in Angola are Luanda, Chibia, Luena, Massango and Menongue.
Climate: The Climate of Angola is distinct; they have alternating days that are both rainy as well as dry. The coastal line is located by the cool Benguela Current and that does result in climates that mirror Peru or even Baja California. There is a very limited and short rainy season, it usually last from February to April. The summers are often very hot and dry as the winters are mild in climate. The North part of Angola is very cool and dry. The climate comes from the prevailing winds. June through September are very cool months and October to May is raining and warm. The heavy rainfall usually happens in April and very severe and strong storms are common. In the north and the Cabinda they have rain the majority of the year.
Nature: One of the bright spots of Angola is their Nature. They have wonderful National Parks with many different walks of wildlife. There are a huge number of birds that come to Angola for breeding and migration. There are many species of Birds that come to Angola every year. You can see Waterfowl, Wading Birds and Song Birds. You may also see Raptors, Game Birds and Swifts. There are many beautiful National Parks in Angola. There is the Iona National Park, Kissama National Park and the Luiana National Park. Angola's Park was once home to many wildlife animals but with the country's civil war they had been eradicated. Though there are some game perseveres still open in Angola where you can see Marine Turtles, Manatees, Water Buffalo and plenty of Fauna.
If you are planning a trip to Angola, check with your Travel Agent, you can ask them for any information about specific parks or safaris where you can see wildlife up close.