The Republic of Angola, in the western region of Southern Africa, is the founding member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), having joined the regional bloc, formerly the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), at its formation in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1980. Angola is the second largest country south of the Sahara after the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Following this, a civil war engulfed the country, with a government of national unity being installed in 1997. The oil industry is presently the backbone of the economy. Oil and fishing are the main sectors that have attracted foreign investment in recent years.
Please refer to the latest SADC Statistics Yearbook