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Civil war has been the norm in Angola since independence from Portugal in 1975. A 1994 peace accord between the government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) provided for the integration of former UNITA insurgents into the government and armed forces. A national unity government was installed in April of 1997, but serious fighting resumed in late 1998, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost in fighting over the past quarter century. The death of insurgent leader Jonas SAVIMBI in 2002 and a subsequent cease-fire with UNITA may bode well for the country.
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Country
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Surface Area: 1,246,700 square km
Population: 10,978,552 (July 2004 est.)
Located in: Southern Africa
Capital City: Luanda
Head of State: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS
Prime Minister: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS
Independent since: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Currency: Kwanza
Flag (image): 
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