Guide to Mozambique Introduction 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 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.
Geography Location: South-eastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 18 15 S, 35 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 2,470 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 1,070 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces
Environment - current issues: 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
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country
People Population: 19,406,703 note
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 1.48% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 35.79 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 20.99 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 12.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.3 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 110,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
Religions: Catholic 23.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, Muslim 17.8%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)
Languages: 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)
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: republic
Capital: Maputo
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
Constitution: 30 November 1990
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: 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
Judicial branch: 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
Political parties and leaders: 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders: 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]
International organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: 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
Economy Economy - overview: 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): $23.38 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 9.2 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services 13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 39.6 (1996-97)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.8% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 47% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2000)
Electricity - production: 8.859 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 5.046 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 7.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 3.907 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 8,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: 60 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 60 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 63.71 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance: $-101.2 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $689.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity
Exports - partners: Netherlands 60.9%, South Africa 12.9%, Malawi 3.3% (2004)
Imports: $972.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners: South Africa 41.4%, Netherlands 11%, Portugal 3.3% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.206 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $966 million (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $632.8 million (2001)
Currency (code): metical (MZM)
Currency code: MZM
Exchange rates: meticais per US dollar - 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001), 15,227 (2000) note
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 83,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 428,900 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)
Radios: 730,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
Televisions: 67,600 (2000)
Internet country code: .mz
Internet hosts: 3,249 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (2002)
Internet users: 50,000 (2002)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2004)
Pipelines: gas 649 km; refined products 292 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Beira, Maputo, Nacala
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 158 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: Mozambique Armed Defense Forces
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $117.3 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.2% (2004)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: 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
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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