Culture, Economy & Flag of Angola

The majority of the population is made up of people from African descent. The Ovimbundu, Kimbundu, and Bakongo form the largest ethnic groups while a sizable mixed-race population is also present in Angola. Roman Catholics are in majority while Protestant forms a small section in the society. The official language is Portuguese but most of them speak a Bantu language.

In Angola, art plays a very important role and the country's ethno-linguistic groups each have their own distinct artistic style, and various raw materials such as wood, clay, bronze, and malachite that they use to create beautiful works-of-art. These handicrafts have in turn played an important role in furthering commerce by developing a popularity among the tourists.

The flag of Angloa is made up of two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem, consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle).
Please click here to view the Flag of Angola

Decades of war has played havoc with the economy of Angola. The rich agricultural sector of Angola was formerly the mainstay of the economy and even currently provides employment for the majority of the people. But food still needs to be imported in large quantities because of the disruptions caused by the civil war. All areas of production have suffered since fighting began in 1975.
But oil production and the supporting activities are very vital to the economy, contributing about 45% to GDP and more than half of exports. To fully take advantage of its rich natural resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to continue reforming government policies. While Angola made progress in bringing inflation down further, from 325% in 2000 to about 106% in 2002, the government has failed to make sufficient progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as increasing foreign exchange reserves and promoting greater transparency in government spending. Increased oil production is expected to bring about 6% GDP growth in Angola.