a republic in SW Africa, on the Atlantic: includes the enclave of Cabinda, north of the River Congo; a Portuguese possession from 1575 until its independence in 1975; multiparty constitution adopted in 1991; factional violence. It consists of a narrow coastal plain with a large fertile plateau in the east. Official language: Portuguese. Currency: kwanza. Religion: Christian majority. Capital: Luanda. Pop: 29 784 193 (2017 est). Area: 1 246 693 sq km (481 351 sq miles)