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Background:
|
 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 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 with rebel forces ended the fighting in 1992. Heavy
flooding in both 1999 and 2000 severely hurt the economy.
Political stability and sound economic policies have
encouraged recent 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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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
801,590 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km
land: 784,090 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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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:
3.98%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 95.73% (1998 est.) |
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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 occur 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, 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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18,811,731
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 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
43.6% (male 4,126,178; female 4,074,759)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 4,944,416; female 5,145,167)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 215,418; female 305,793)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
|
total:
18.2 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.6 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.22% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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36.06
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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23.86
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 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: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
137.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 131.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 142.67 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 37.1 years
male: 37.83 years
female: 36.34 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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13% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1.1 million (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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60,000 (2001
est.) |
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Nationality:
|
noun:
Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican |
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Ethnic groups:
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indigenous tribal
groups 99.66% (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and
others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08% |
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Religions:
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indigenous
beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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Portuguese
(official), indigenous dialects |
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Literacy:
|
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:
|
conventional
long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique
local short form: Mocambique
former: Portuguese East Africa
local long form: Republica de Mocambique |
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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 |
|
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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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6
November 1986); note - before being popularly elected,
CHISSANO was elected president by Frelimo's Central Committee
on 4 November 1986 (reelected by the Committee 30 July 1989)
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 3-5 December 1999 (next to
be held NA December 2004); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO reelected
president; percent of vote - Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO 52.3%,
Afonso DHLAKAMA 47.7% |
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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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held
NA December 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo
48.54%, Renamo-UE 38.81%; seats by party - Frelimo 133,
Renamo-UE 117
note: Renamo-UE ran as a multiparty coalition; none of
the other opposition parties received the 5% required to win
parliamentary seats; in September 2000, Renamo-UE member Raul
DOMINGOS was expelled from the party; he continues to hold his
parliamentary seat as an independent |
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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 the
creation of 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 [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, 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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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245
telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC
20036 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON
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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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. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $21.23 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,200 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
22%
industry: 23%
services: 55% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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70% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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15.2% (2002 est.) |
|
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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Budget:
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revenues:
$393.1 million
expenditures: $1.025 billion, including capital
expenditures of $479.4 million (2001 est.) |
|
Industries:
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food, beverages,
chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum, petroleum
products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
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3.4% (2000) |
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Electricity - production:
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7.193 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
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1.39 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
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5.8 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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500 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
8,500 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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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:
|
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
|
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
|
cotton, cashew
nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts,
sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef,
poultry |
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Exports:
|
$795 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
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aluminum, prawns,
cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Belgium 42.4%,
South Africa 17.6%, Zimbabwe 5.7%, Spain 5.4%, Portugal 4.4%
(2002) |
|
Imports:
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$1.142 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and
equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products,
foodstuffs, textiles |
|
Imports - partners:
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South Africa
30.4%, Portugal 6.1%, US 5.2%, India 4.2%, Australia 4.1%
(2002) |
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Debt - external:
|
$966 million
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$632.8 million
(2001) |
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Currency:
|
metical (MZM) |
|
Currency code:
|
MZM |
|
Exchange rates:
|
meticais per US
dollar - 23,782.3 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,703.6 (2001),
15,447.1 (2000), 13,028.6 (1999)
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:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
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83,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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254,800 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
|
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) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.mz |
|
Internet hosts:
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1,925 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
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30,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
|
total:
3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m
gauge (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1999 est.) |
|
Waterways:
|
3,750 km
(navigable routes) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 189 km;
refined products 292 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Beira, Inhambane,
Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 3
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
by type: cargo 3
foreign-owned: Belgium 2 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports:
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158 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
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 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
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 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
Army, Navy, Air
and Air Defense Forces, Special Forces |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 4,335,294 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 2,485,197 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$101.3 million
(2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.2% (2003) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
Southern African
transit point for South Asian hashish, South Asian 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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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