Maps: explore.ie is currently developing a maps infrastructure. In the interim, for maps of Angola click here.

Currency: Angolan Kwanza.

Development Indicators: Angola ranks 166th of 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index 2004, between Malawi and Chad. GDP per capita is $2130 and life expectancy 40.2 years.

International Dialing Codes: Dialing into Angola, preface numbers with +244. For Luanda call +244 2 and then the local number.

Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz. Plugs are two round pins.

Language: Portuguese and over 60 other Bantu-group languages, including Kikongo, Kimbundo, Umbundu, Chokwe, Mbunda and Oxikuanyama. English is not widely spoken.

Population: 13.5m (est).

Religions: RC, protestant, traditional and animist beliefs.

Time: GMT +1.

Cash: Angola is a cash economy. No ATMs exist and credit cards are not accepted outside of the big hotels in Luanda. Bring US dollars and exchange them, with a local chaperone, on the black market.  No kwanza are permitted to leave the country. Note that Angola is very expensive.

Flights: There are limited routes to Angola. BA operates a weekly flight from London Heathrow to Luanda, leaving Saturday nights. South African Airways flies via Jo'burg and TAP Portugal from Lisbon, four times weekly. The Houston Express is a private charter service operated by US-based World Airways for the national oil company's subsidiary Sonair and is available only to members of the U.S-Africa Energy Association.

From the Airport: Most air traffic to Angola arrives via the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in Luanda. There are no taxis or buses available. Arranging a pick-up before you arrive is essential. Talk to your hotel about this, or better still, your sponsoring organisation in Angola.

Getting Around: Internal flights are operated by Air Gemini and TAAG Angolan Airlines (UK tel: +44 (0) 20 7170 4343) and other smaller charter or air taxi companies. Ground transport is next to impossible for a tourist. There is one taxi company in Luanda (Macontaxi Taxi Service, tel: 02 470 520) and it charges $50 per ride. Traffic accidents and petty crime are rife, and distances of just tens of kilometres can take hours and even days. Under no circumstances should visitors undertake to drive outside of Luanda. Roads are heavily mined and in disastrous condition. Best to ask local advice and hire a driver/translator. A rate of $80-100 per day should be negotiable.

Emergency numbers: Fire (115), Ambulance (113), Police (116).

Embassies/Consulates: The Angolan embassy in London is at 22 Dorset Street, London W1U 6QY, tel: +44-20-7299 9850 and www.angola.org.uk. In the US, 2100-2108 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009; tel: 202.785.1156. The British embassy in Angola is at Rua Diogo Cao 4, Caixa Postal 1244, Luanda; tel: +244 2 334-582.

Notes: Angola is an unsafe country to visit. Corruption is rife, petty crime frequent and political unrest never far beneath the surface (elections are scheduled for 2006). Do not walk after dark, period. Do not navigate Luanda without local advice and a chaperone. Do not wear sunglasses, cameras, flash phones or other items that could be attractive to a thief. Following a 27-year Civil War that ended with a ceasefire in 2002, Angola is heavily landmined. Under no circumstances should you drive outside of Luanda (see above). Never walk off the beaten track and pay attention to signs warning of UXO. Always carry a copy of your passport and visa and be prepared to pay off persistant police.

Warnings: The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Angola. The threat from terrorism is low, but from personal crime it is high. It recommends anyone travelling beyond Luanda do so under the auspices of a sponsoring organisation. A seperatist movement is active in Cabinda. An outbreak of Marburg Disease, an haemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, is underway in Uige province.

Foreign Exchange: Converter.

English Language Newspapers: The Angola Press is available in Portuguese and English. It is a state-run publication however, and shouldn't be considered objective.

Tourist Information:  www.angola.org is the official web site of the Republic of Angola. Other good sources of info are various embassy web sites. For INFOTUR, tel: (02) 444 400.

Medical Advice: Health care in Angola is extremely poor. Medical services are limited and medicines difficult to obtain. Visitors should take a stock of medicines; those who must take medical injections should bring disposable syringes and needles if traveling outside the main urban areas. Best advice is to have an out - adequate insurance that provides for a medical evacuation is essential. A list of private clinics and evacuation companies can be found by clicking here. Hospital Boavida, tel: (02) 380118; Cruz Vermelha (Rod Cross), tel: (02) 333991.

Visas: Visas are difficult. As well as the normal considerations, visitors are required to produce a letter of invitation sent by the individual or institution to be contacted in Angola and a bank statement or letter from an employer sponsoring the travel. Visas can take some weeks to turn around. One may need to offer a creative euphemism for one's profession. Contact your nearest Angolan embassy (see above).

Vaccinations: Yellow Fever, Meningococcal Meningitis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Dipththeria, Rabies (if travelling in a rural area) and Measles immunisations are essential. Malaria is endemic so appropriate prophylaxis should be taken (be certain to finish the course after returning home). Dengue fever is also present, so wear insect repellant, long sleeves and sleep under mosquito nets. Sleeping sickness is widely transmitted by tsetze flies in the north (cover up with long sleeves and trousers). Do not swim in fresh water, due to the presence of schistosomiasis.

Water: Do not drink tap water in Angola. Drink mineral water if it is available; if not, filter and boil what is. Iodine tablets may be used to purify water also. Angola gets very hot and humid, so take care to rehydrate regularly. Dehydration not only leads to tiredness, but can exacerbate other conditions such as heat exhaustion and food poisoning.