Industrial activities of dimension stone production in Angola

This paper describes the state of the art of the dimension-stone sector in Republic of Angola. The formation supplying the most important products are gabbro-anorthosite compounds, marbles and granites which, although located in different country sites, are only exploited in the Southern areas. After a brief summary of the history of production activities and of the industrial reorganization, the paper describes the present situation, focused on product exploitation and valorization and on the role played by the sector in the national industrial contest, stressing out, in particular, its economic and mining relevance. Moreover, the main issues, related to sector development are described, with special reference to the scientific ones aimed at the exploitation and characterization of this resource and at the improvement of exploitation technologies. Some of this programs are carried out in an environment of close cooperation between national industry and university.