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Background:
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Almost
five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close
with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by
whites, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe
drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the
country's development. The ruling Front for the
Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally
abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the
following year provided for multiparty elections and a
free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement
between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National Resistance
(RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In December
2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as
Joaquim CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office.
His newly elected successor, Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, has
promised to continue the sound economic policies that
have encouraged foreign investment. |
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Location:
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South-eastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel,
between South Africa and Tanzania |
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 15 S,
35 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than twice the size of California |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
4,571 km
border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa
491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419
km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km |
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Coastline:
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2,470 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical
to subtropical |
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Terrain:
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mostly
coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in
northwest, mountains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m |
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Natural resources:
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coal,
titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
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Land use:
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arable
land: 5.1%
permanent crops: 0.3%
other: 94.6% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,070 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe
droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and
southern provinces |
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Environment - current issues:
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a long
civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have
resulted in increased migration of the population to
urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental
consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and
coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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the
Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile
part of the country |
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Population:
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19,406,703
note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected; the 1997 Mozambican census reported a
population of 16,099,246 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 43.1% (male 4,206,654/female 4,157,898)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 5,088,250/female
5,416,573)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 224,682/female
312,646) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.29 years
male: 17.74 years
female: 18.83 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.48%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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35.79
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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20.99
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
130.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 135.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 125.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 40.32 years
male: 39.9 years
female: 40.75 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.7
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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12.2%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1.3
million (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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110,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004)
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Nationality:
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noun:
Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican |
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Ethnic groups:
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indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe,
Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%,
Indians 0.08% |
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Religions:
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Catholic
23.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, Muslim 17.8%, other
17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census) |
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Languages:
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Emakhuwa
26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official;
spoken by 27% of population as a second language),
Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other
Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages 0.3%,
unspecified 1.3% (1997 census) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8%
male: 63.5%
female: 32.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique
local long form: Republica de Mocambique
local short form: Mocambique
former: Portuguese East Africa |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Maputo
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Administrative divisions:
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10
provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city
(cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica,
Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala,
Tete, Zambezia |
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Independence:
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25 June
1975 (from Portugal) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 25 June (1975) |
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Constitution:
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30
November 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on
Portuguese civil law system and customary law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2
February 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO
(since 17 February 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held 1-2 December 2004
(next to be held December 2009); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Armando GUEBUZA elected
president; percent of vote - Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%,
Afonso DHLAKAMA 31.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote on a secret ballot to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to
be held December 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party -
Frelimo 62%, Renamo 29.7%; seats by party - Frelimo 160,
Renamo 90 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court (the court of final appeal; some of its
professional judges are appointed by the president and
some are elected by the Assembly); other courts include
an Administrative Court, customs courts, maritime
courts, courts marshal, labor courts
note: although the constitution provides for a
separate Constitutional Court, one has never been
established; in its absence the Supreme Court reviews
constitutional cases |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Front for
the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de
Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA,
president]; Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral
Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral)
or RENAMO-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Institute
for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e
Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica
[Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman]; Movement for Peace and
Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e Cidadania); Mozambican
League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos
Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]; Human Rights
and Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or
DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP,
AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent),
ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570,
Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone: [258] (1) 492797
FAX: [258] (1) 490448 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow
with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side;
the black band is edged in white; centered in the
triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed
rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white
book |
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Economy - overview:
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At
independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's
poorest countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal
civil war from 1977-92 exacerbated the situation. In
1987, the government embarked on a series of
macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the economy.
These steps, combined with donor assistance and with
political stability since the multi-party elections in
1994, have led to dramatic improvements in the country's
growth rate. Inflation was reduced to single digits
during the late 1990s although it returned to double
digits in 2000-03. Fiscal reforms, including the
introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the
customs service, have improved the government's revenue
collection abilities. In spite of these gains,
Mozambique remains dependent upon foreign assistance for
much of its annual budget, and the majority of the
population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence
agriculture continues to employ the vast majority of the
country's workforce. A substantial trade imbalance
persists although the opening of the MOZAL aluminum
smelter, the country's largest foreign investment
project to date has increased export earnings.
Additional investment projects in titanium extraction
and processing and garment manufacturing should further
close the import/export gap. Mozambique's once
substantial foreign debt has been reduced through
forgiveness and rescheduling under the IMF's Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced HIPC
initiatives, and is now at a manageable level. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$23.38
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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8.2%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 21.1%
industry: 32.1%
services: 46.9% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.2
million (2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services 13% (1997 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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21% (1997
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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70% (2001
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1997) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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39.6
(1996-97) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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12.8%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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47% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.186 billion
expenditures: $1.398 billion, including capital
expenditures of $479.4 million (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton,
cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn,
coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes,
sunflowers; beef, poultry |
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Industries:
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food,
beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints),
aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass,
asbestos, tobacco |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.4%
(2000) |
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Electricity - production:
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8.859
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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5.046
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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7.1
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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3.907
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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8,500
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1
January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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60
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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60
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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63.71
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-101.2
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$689.4
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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aluminum,
prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk
electricity |
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Exports - partners:
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Netherlands 60.9%, South Africa 12.9%, Malawi 3.3%
(2004) |
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Imports:
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$972.9
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal
products, foodstuffs, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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South
Africa 41.4%, Netherlands 11%, Portugal 3.3% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$1.206
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$966
million (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$632.8
million (2001) |
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Currency (code):
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metical
(MZM) |
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Currency code:
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MZM |
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Exchange rates:
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meticais
per US dollar - 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003), 23,678
(2002), 20,704 (2001), 15,227 (2000)
note: effective October 2000, the exchange rate
is determined as the weighted average of buying and
selling exchange rates of all transactions of commercial
banks and stock exchanges with the public |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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83,700
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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428,900
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: fair system but not available
generally (telephone density is only 16 telephones for
each 1,000 persons)
domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines
and trunk connection by microwave radio relay and
tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 258; satellite
earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3
Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 13, FM
17, shortwave 11 (2001) |
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Radios:
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730,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2001)
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Televisions:
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67,600
(2000) |
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Internet country code:
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.mz |
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Internet hosts:
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3,249
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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11 (2002)
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Internet users:
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50,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km
0.762-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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460 km
(Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa
Lake) (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 649
km; refined products 292 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Beira,
Maputo, Nacala |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
by type: cargo 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2005) |
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Airports:
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158 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 87 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Mozambique Armed Defense Forces: Army, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Forces, Logistics Command |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 3,793,373 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,751,223 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$117.3
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.2%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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Southern
African transit point for South Asian hashish and
heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for
the European and South African markets; producer of
cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for
export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory
capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money
laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial
infrastructure limits the country's utility as a
money-laundering center |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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