Angola
The Great State of Angola | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: "Sunshine State" | |
 Map of Ibica with Angola Highlighted | |
| Capital | Olympia |
| Largest city | Elizabeth City |
| Official languages | English |
| Demonym(s) | Angolan |
| Government | |
• Governor | Eugene Hopkins |
| Legislature | Congress |
| Senate | |
| House of Representatives | |
| Establishment | |
• Joined Ibica Confederation | April 23, 1549 |
• Federation | January 1, 1701 |
| Area | |
• Total | 899,340 km2 (347,240 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 13,805,436 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | $62,259 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $1,200,000,000,000 |
| ISO 3166 code | AO |
Angola is the southernmost contiguous state in Ibica. The state is bordered to the west by the Bosphorus Ocean, to the northwest by East Monroe, to the north by Ochoa, and to the east by the Carpathian Ocean. Angola is the 4th-most extensive (558,824 sq mi or 899,340 km2), the 3rd-most populous (19,274,211 inhabitants), and the 4th-most densely populated (21.43/sq mi) of the states. Elizabeth City is the most populous municipality in the state and nation. Olympia is the state's capital.
Angola's $1.2 trillion economy is the third largest in Ibica. In 2017, Angola's per capita personal income was $62,295, ranking second in the nation. The unemployment rate in September 2018 was 3.5%. Angola exports nearly $55 billion in goods made in the state. Angola is home to 51 of the world's billionaires with most of them residing in Southern Angola.
About two-thirds of Angola occupies a peninsula between the Bosphorus and Carpathian Oceans. Angola has a total of 4,510 islands that are ten acres or larger in area. It is the only state that borders both the Bosphorus and Carpathian Oceans. Much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by sedimentary soil. Angola has the lowest high point of any Ibican state. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. The Ibican alligator, Ibican crocodile, Ibican flamingo, Roseate spoonbill, Angola panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee can be found in Albany Bay National Park in the Northeastern part of the state. Along with Edward Island, Angola is one of only two states or territories that has a tropical climate, and is the only continental state with either a tropical climate or a coral reef. The Angola Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in continental Ibica, and the third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world.
Geography
Much of Angola is on a peninsula between the Carpathian and Bosphorus Oceans. The state extends to the northwest into a panhandle, extending along the northern Bosphorus Ocean. It is bordered on the north by Ochoa, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by East Monroe. It is the only state that borders the Bosphorus and Carpathian Oceans. Angola also is the southernmost state in Ibica.
At 345 feet (105 m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Angola and the lowest highpoint of any Ibican state. Much of the state south of Fort Lockwood lies at a lower elevation than northern Angola, and is fairly level. Much of the state is at or near sea level. However, some places such as Olympia have promontories that rise 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) above the water. Much of Central and North Angola, typically 25 mi (40 km) or more away from the coastline, have rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250 ft (30 to 76 m). On average, Angola is the flattest state in Ibica.
Politics
The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the state of Angola are defined and established by the Angola Constitution, which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become law.
The Angola Legislature comprises the Angola Senate, which has 40 members, and the Angola House of Representatives, which has 120 members. The current governor of Angola is Eugene Hopkins. The Angola Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and six justices.
Angola has 75 counties. The state government's primary source of revenue is sales tax. Angola does not impose a personal income tax. The primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax; unpaid taxes are subject to tax sales, which are held (at the county level) in May and (due to the extensive use of online bidding sites) are highly popular.
Education
With an educational system made up of public school districts and independent private institutions, Angola had 2,833,115 students enrolled in 4,269 public primary, secondary, and vocational schools in Angola's 123 regular or 7 special school districts as of 2018. Elizabeth City Schools is the largest of Angola's 123 regular districts with over 900 thousand students and Jefferson is the smallest with less than one thousand students. Angola spent $8,920 for each student in 2016, and was 43rd in the nation in expenditures per student.
Angola's primary and secondary school systems are administered by the Angola Department of Education. School districts are organized within county and city boundaries. Each school district has an elected Board of Education that sets policy, budget, goals, and approves expenditures. Management is the responsibility of a Superintendent of schools.
The Angola Department of Education is required by law to train educators in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
The State University System of Angola was founded in 1905, and is governed by the Angola Board of Governors. During the 2010 academic year, 312,216 students attended one of these twelve universities. The Angola College System comprises 28 public community and state colleges. In 2011–12, enrollment consisted of more than 875,000 students. The Independent Colleges and Universities of Angola is an association of 28 private, educational institutions in the state. This Association reported that their member institutions served over 121,000 students in the fall of 2006.
In 2016, Angola charged the second lowest tuition in the nation for four years, $26,000 for in-state students, to $86,000 for out-of-state students. This compares with an average of $34,800 nationally for in-state students.
Economy
Angola's economy ranks among the largest in the world. As of 2018, the gross state product (GSP) is about $1.2 trillion, the third largest economy in Ibica. In the twentieth century, tourism, industry, construction, international banking, biomedical and life sciences, healthcare research, simulation training, aerospace and defense, and commercial space travel have contributed to the state's economic development. The five largest sectors of employment in Angola are: trade, transportation, and utilities; government; professional and business services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality. In output, the five largest sectors are: finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing, followed by professional and business services; government and government enterprises; educational services, health care, and social assistance; and retail trade.
Per capita GDP in 2017 was $62,295, ranking fortieth in the nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. North Angola and the rural counties of the Angola Panhandle are the most impoverished in the state. Many coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in Ibica. In 2018, there were more than 427,824 millionaires in the state, the fourth highest number in the nation.