lic of Angola

Digraph: AO

Type: transitional government nominally a multiparty democracy with a
strong presidential system

Capital: Luanda

Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza
Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda
Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August
1980, 6 March 1991, and 26 August 1992

Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law;
recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use
of free markets

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September
1979)
head of government: Prime Minister Marcolino Jose Carlos MOCO (since 2
December 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional): first nationwide, multiparty
elections were held 29-30 September 1992 with disputed results

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relacao)

Political parties and leaders: Popular Movement for the Liberation of
Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, is the ruling party and
has been in power since 1975; National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, is a legal party
despite its history of armed resistance to the government; five minor
parties have small numbers of seats in the National Assembly

Other political or pressure groups: Cabindan State Liberation Front
(FLEC), N'ZITA Tiago, leader of largest faction (FLEC-FAC)
note: FLEC is waging a small-scale, highly factionalized, armed
struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC (observer), ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Goncalves Martins PATRICIO
embassy: 1819 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, Suite 400
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258

US diplomatic representation: