Angola - High mortality rate Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Angola - High mortality rate - Term Paper Example ain consists of agricultural highlands, with a large savanna in the east and south; and rain forest strips in the north and the enclave of Cabinda (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Angola has a tropical climate. According to the WHO (2011), the total population of Angola is 18,498,000. Its main ethnic groups are: â€Å" Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mixed racial 2%, European 1%† (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Around 17% of its population are children 5 years old and below. Approximately 42% live in the rural areas. The official language in Angola is Portuguese and the Portuguese compose the largest non-Angolan population. Angola has a republic government system. A new constitution was enacted on February 5, 2010 and three days after, President dos Santos established a new government. The new constitution made a party list system where citizens can vote for a party, instead of a single candidate, and the president will be the head of the winning party’s list (U.S. Department of State, 2011). It created a new office of the vice president, and removed the position of the prime minister. The next presidential and parliamentary elections are projected to occur in 2012. Angola is rich in oil, gas, and diamonds, but remains in the lower rings of 10% of numerous socioeconomic indicators (U.S. Department of State, 2011). GDP growth in 2009 did not improve, though higher GDP projections are expected for the coming years (U.S. Department of State, 2011). An estimation of Angola’s oil reserves showed it to range from 9.5 billion to 13.5 billion barrels (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Crude oil composed around 50% of Angolas GDP, as well as 95% of its exports, and 72% of government revenues in 2010 (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Angola also generates 40,000 bpd of locally refined oil. Angola ranks 160th in the UNDP Human Development Index (WHO, 2005, p.1). The main determinants of health are the financial resources of the country, the availability of