Mozambique

Republic of MozambiqueRepublica Popular de Mocambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 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

LocationSouthern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel between South Africa and

Populationas each edition published it

16.34 million July 1993 est. · 14.57m in 1990

Population growth% a year

6.06% 1993 est. · 2.53% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

48.03 years 1993 est. · 58.3 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.31 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

131.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 138 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$115 1992 est. · $1,500 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

0.3% 1992 est. · 1.9% in 2025

Geography

Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel between South Africa and | Tanzania opposite the island of Madagascar

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Area

801,590km2

land area: 784,090 km2comparative 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

Irrigated land

1,150km2

(1989 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel between South Africa and Tanzania opposite the island of Madagascar

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Terrain

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

Land use

arable land:: 4%
permanent crops:: 0%
meadows and pastures:: 56%
forest and woodland:: 20%
other:: 20%

Environment

severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification

People

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Population

16,341,777

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 6.06% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

45.35Death

16.71Net migration

31.95

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years48.03

46.22 · 49.9

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy33%

45% · 21%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 60%Christian 30%Muslim 10%

Infant mortality rate

131.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Mozambican(s)
adjective:: Mozambican

Ethnic divisions

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

Languages

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Labor force

NA · by occupation: 90% engaged in agriculture

Government

Republic

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Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form:: Mozambique
local long form:: Republica Popular de Mocambique
local short form:: Mocambique

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

Political parties and leaders

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman;
formerly a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR;
FRELIMO 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),

the Mozambique National Movement (MONAMO), and the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO, Alfonso DHLAKAMA, president), have already emerged

Elections

draft electoral law provides for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly elections

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)

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, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO
chancery:: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:: (202) 293-7146

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Townsend B. FRIEDMAN, Jr.
embassy:: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193 Maputo
mailing address:: 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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$115

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

0.3%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

50%

(1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$252 millionExpenditures

$607 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 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, resulted in successive years of economic growth in the late 1980s, but aid has declined steadily since 1989. 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 has dimmed chances of foreign investment, and growth was a mere 0.3% in 1992. Living standards, already abysmally low, fell further in 1991-92.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.75 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$162 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

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

Imports

$899 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

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

External debt

$5.4 billion (1991 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 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

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 2,74.15 (January 1993), 2,433.34 (1992), 1,434.47 (1991), 929.00 (1990), 800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

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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

total:: 194
usable:: 131
with permanent-surface runways:: 25
with runways over 3,659 m:: 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 26

Telecommunications

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, Militia

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