Mozambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMaputo

Area801,590 km2

Populationas each edition published it

15.11 million July 1991 · 14.57m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 6.06% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 48.03 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.4 children per woman 1991 · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

134 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 138 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $115 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.3% in 1993

Geography

9 fields

Total area

801,590km2

land area: 784,090 km2Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries

4,571km total

Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km

Coastline

2,470 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Terrain

mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west

Land use

arable land 4%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 56%;
forest and woodland 20%;
other 20%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification

People

14 fields

Population

15,113,282

(July 1991), growth rate 4.6% (1991); note--900,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

46Death

17Net migration

Religion

indigenous beliefs 60%Christian 30%Muslim 10%

Literacy

33%

(male 45%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun--Mozambican(s); adjective--Mozambican

Ethnic divisions

majority from indigenous tribal groups; Europeans about 10,000, Euro-Africans 35,000, Indians 15,000

Language

Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects

Organized labor

225,000 workers belong to a single union, the Mozambique Workers' Organization (OTM)

Government

Republic

17 fields

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

Judicial branch

People's Courts at all levels Chief of State--President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986) Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)--formerly a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR--was the only legal party before 30 November 1990 when the new Constitution went into effect establishing a multiparty system;
note--the government has announced that multiparty elections will be held in 1991;
parties such as the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique (PALMO), the Mozambique National Union (UNAMO), and the Mozambique National Movement (MONAMO) have already emerged

Elections

electoral law--to be ratified in 1991--will provide for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly elections

Communists

about 200,000 FRELIMO members; note--FRELIMO no longer considers itself a Communist party

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO;
Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036;
telephone (202) 293-7146;
US--Ambassador Townsend B. FRIEDMAN, Jr.;
Embassy at Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193 Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo);
telephone [258] (1) 49-27-97, 49-01-67, 49-03-50

Flag

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

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.6billion

per capita $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

22.9%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

50%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$5.1billion

(1990 est.)

Exports $90 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)commodities, where a share is given

shrimp

48%cashews

21%sugar

10%copra

3%citrus

; partners--US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan

Budget

Revenues

$186 millionExpenditures

$239 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $208 million (1988 est.)

One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of little more than $100, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing foreign debt.

A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since 1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is at about only 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20-40% of capacity. The economy depends heavily on foreign assistance to keep afloat.

Imports

$764 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.), including aid;
commodities--food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum;
partners--US, Western Europe, USSR

Industrial production

growth rate 5% (1989 est.)

Electricity

2,265,000 kW capacity; 1,740 million kWh produced, 120 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos), tobacco

Agriculture

accounts for 90% of the labor force, 50% of GDP, and about 90% of exports;
cash crops--cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp;
other crops--cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits;
not self-sufficient in food

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $350 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $890 million

Currency

metical (plural--meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1--1,700 (November 1990), 800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 197 total, 145 usable

permanent-surface runways

27runways over 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

5runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

26,498Railroads

3,288Pipelines

306

Highways: ; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are subject to closure because of insurgency · Pipelines: (not operating); 289 km refined products

Railroads

3,288 km total;
3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge;
148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge;
Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are subject to closure because of insurgency

Highways

26,498 km total;
4,593 km paved;
829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil;
21,076 km unimproved earth

fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay;
57,400 telephones;
stations--15 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV;
earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic

Defense Forces

Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Naval Command, Air Defense Forces, Border Guards), Militia

3 fields

How to cite ← 1990 edition 1992 edition →