Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, the Republic of Angola is located in southwest Africa and borders Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country’s west coast lies directly on the Atlantic Ocean.
The capital of the country, which has been independent since 1975, is Luanda on the west coast. The official language in Angola is Portuguese. However, only 30% of the population speak this as their mother tongue. Most of the population speaks African languages such as Umbundu or Ngangela. Many ethnic groups have developed their own languages and dialects.
After Luanda with an estimated population of 4 to 5 million people, Cabinda is one of the larger cities in the country with around 250,000 inhabitants. As a German tourist you need a visa, which you have to apply for at the Angolan embassy in Berlin. Luanda can be reached in about 11 hours from Frankfurt Airport.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Angola.
Climate in Angola
There are three climatic zones in Angola. In the north of the country and on the coast, the climate is tropical. High daytime temperatures of over 25 degrees dominate here. It doesn’t cool down much at night either. In the months of November bis April is the rainy season. Here precipitation of up to 500 millimeters is on the agenda. Inland and in the south there is a temperate tropical climate. This is characterized by large temperature differences between day and night.
The air temperatures in Huambo can drop to less than 8 ° C at night with daily values of over 25 ° C. In coastal locations like Namibe, these fluctuations are not as pronounced. In the months of May to September one finds temperatures of around 20 ° C. At night, the temperatures then drop to around 14 degrees. In the southeast of Angola, a rather dry and hot climate dominates.
When to go to Angola
The best travel time for Angola cannot be generalized due to the three different climate zones. In Luanda, the months of September to January are very suitable for spending an impressive vacation. Little precipitation and temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees invite you to jump into the Atlantic Ocean and explore the area. The months of May and June are also good times to travel.
The best time to travel to Namibe in the south-west of the country are November and December as well as February till May. Seven to eight hours of sunshine and high temperatures offer a good starting point for your Angola trip. In the centrally located Huambo, the best travel times are April, September and October. Here you will find temperatures of 20 to 21 degrees and compared to the months of November to March less rainfall.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Angola).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Luanda | January, May, June, September, October, November and December |
| Namibe | February, March, April, May, November and December |
| Huambo | April, September and October |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Luanda (Angola)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 30 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 30 ° C | 29 ° C | 26 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C |
| Night temperature | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 23 ° C | 20 ° C | 19 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 24 ° C |
| Water temperature | 25 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | 22 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 22 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 30 | 36 | 114 | 136 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 31 |
| Rainy days | 2 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Hours of sunshine | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Sunrise | 6:00 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:20 | 6:25 | 6:15 | 6:00 | 5:45 | 5:35 | 5:45 |
| Sunset | 18:35 | 18:30 | 18:20 | 18:05 | 17:55 | 17:55 | 18:00 | 18:05 | 18:05 | 18:00 | 18:05 | 18:20 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Luanda is 25.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is March (28.6 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 22.1 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Luanda is 27 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. All except July and August have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 405 mm on 29 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. You cannot expect snow in any month in Luanda.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 7.4 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 6.2 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Belas.
Highlights and attractions
Angola has a wide range of fascinating flora and fauna to offer. In the northern, tropical coastal regions, for example, there is a very distinctive and species-rich rainforest. There are six national parks in Angola. The largest park is the Iona National Park in south-west Angola. It has a large variety of wild animals, including lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards, billy goats and several zebra species.
With the Kameia National Park there is another protected area inland. With over 1500 kilometers of coastline, Angola also has numerous beaches to offer, for example in Luanda. In the best travel time, wonderful water temperatures invite you to bathe and swim. Many Angola trips are exciting camping safaris or round trips with an explorer character, including crossing the legendary Leba Pass!
