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The size of Angola

Location and size of Angola

Angola is located in Southern Africa, on the western coast of the African continent, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean. Located south of the Equator, the country occupies a strategic position in southwestern Africa, between Namibia to the south and the two Republics of Congo to the north. It also has the enclave of Cabinda, separated from the main territory.

The size of Angola is:

Angola is one of the largest countries in Africa. It has a total land area of approximately 1,246,700 square kilometers (481,400 square miles).

Angola is the seventh-largest country in Africa and the twenty-second largest country in the world.

Bordering countries and border lengths:

Stylized map of Angola and neighboring Congo, showing cities, rivers, borders, and an inset regional map.
Angola with neighbouring countries

Angola shares land borders with four countries, with a total land border length of 4,837 km:

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (north and northeast): 2,511 km
  • Republic of the Congo (north, including the Cabinda exclave): 201 km
  • Zambia (east): 1,110 km
  • Namibia (south): 1,376 km
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To the west, Angola has a coastline of approximately 1,650 km along the Atlantic Ocean. The province of Cabinda is an exclave separated from the rest of the country by a narrow strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Comparison of Angola's area with other countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia:

Africa - Angola is significantly larger than countries like South Africa or Kenya. It is roughly the same size as Mali.

Europe - Angola is more than twice the size of France and almost two and a half times larger than Germany. It is also larger than Spain and Portugal combined.

Americas - Angola is approximately twice the size of the US state of Texas. It is smaller than Argentina and Peru but larger than Chile or Venezuela.

Asia - Angola is smaller than large Asian countries such as Mongolia or Iran, but it is larger than countries like Japan or Malaysia.

Comparison on a global scale with well-known places for scale visualization:

  • Texas, USA → Angola is about twice as large.
  • France → Angola is more than twice the size of France.
  • California + Nevada combined → Still smaller than Angola.
  • United Kingdom → Angola is almost five times larger than the UK.
  • New York City → The entire metropolitan area of New York would fit into Angola more than 1,500 times.
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Territory Expanded: The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

What is the EEZ? 

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, giving a country special rights for the exploration and use of marine resources, including fishing, oil, gas, and wind energy.

Extending into the Atlantic Ocean, Angola's EEZ covers approximately 518,433 square kilometers. This marine area is almost half the size of the country's land territory. Within this vast oceanic zone, Angola has sovereign rights over fishing, hydrocarbon exploration, and marine biodiversity.

For a large coastal nation like Angola, the EEZ represents a major opportunity for economic development through fisheries, offshore oil and gas, and sustainable marine activities, while also presenting challenges in environmental protection and sustainable management.