Mozambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 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

15.47 million July 1992 · 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 1992 · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

134 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

12 fields

Total area

801,590km2

Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California

Coastline

2,470km

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

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

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

15,469,150

(July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); note - 1.5 million Mozambican refugees; 900,000 in Malawi (1991 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

46Death

17Net migration

Religions

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

Languages

Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects

Organized labor

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

Government

Republic

19 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)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)

Political parties and leaders

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 plans multiparty elections as early as 1993;
14 parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique (PALMO), the Mozambique National Union (UNAMO), and the Mozambique National Movement (MONAMO) have already emerged

Elections

draft electoral law provides 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, INMARSAT, 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;
FAX [258] (1) 49-01-14

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

One of Africa's poorest countries, Mozambique has failed to exploit the | economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and | transportation resources.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

40.5%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

50%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$4.9billion

(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$369 millionExpenditures

$860 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $432 million (1989 est.)

One of Africa's poorest countries, 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. The continuation of civil strife through 1991 has dimmed chances of foreign investment, and growth was a mere 1%. Living standards, already abysmally low, dropped by 3-4% in both 1990 and 1991.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, per capita $120; real growth rate 1.0% (1991 est.)

Exports

$117 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%
partners:: US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan

Imports

$870 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.), including aid

commodities:: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum
partners:: US, Western Europe, USSR

Industrial production

growth rate 5% (1989 est.)

Electricity

2,270,000 kW capacity; 1,745 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 80% 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 (1970-89), $4.4 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 - 2,358 (1 May 1992), 1,811.18 (1991), 929.00 (1990), 800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 195 total, 137 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

3,288

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

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;
broadcast stations - 29 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV;
earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guards, Militia

3 fields

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