Mozambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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
LocationSouthern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel between South Africa
1994

Every edition of Mozambique

Populationas each edition published it
17.35 million July 1994 est. · 14.57m in 1990
Population growth% a year
5.87% 1994 est. · 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
6.25 children per woman 1994 est. · 6.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
128.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 138 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1993 est. · $115 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.1% 1993 est. · 0.3% in 1993

Geography

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

22 fields
Coastline
2,470km
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
1,150sq km
(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

total area

801,590 sq km

land area

784,090 sq km

comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of California

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Climate

tropical to subtropical

Terrain

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

Natural resources

coal, titanium

arable land

4%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

56%

forest and woodland

20%

other

20%

current issues

  • civil strife in the hinterlands has resulted in increased migration to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences;
  • desertification;
  • pollution of surface and coastal waters

natural hazards

severe drought and floods occur in central and southern provinces

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

People

21 fields
Population
17,346,280
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 5.87% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
44.97Death
16.33Net migration
30.1

Religions

indigenous beliefs 60%Christian 30%Muslim 10%
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

128.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

48.49 years

male

46.63 years

female

50.41 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.25 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

total population

33%

male

45%

female

21%

by occupation

90% engaged in agriculture

Government

Republic

31 fields

conventional long form

Republic of Mozambique

conventional short form

Mozambique

local long form

Republica Popular de Mocambique

local short form

Mocambique

Type

republic

Capital

Maputo

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Constitution

30 November 1990

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986)

head of government

Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)

cabinet

Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica); draft electoral law provides for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly elections

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

  • under the terms of the 1992 peace accords multiparty elections are scheduled for October 1994;
  • 11 parties, including the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), Alfonso DHLAKAMA, president, are registered to participate

Member of

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Hipolito Pereira Zozimo PATRICIO

chancery

Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

(202) 293-7146

FAX

(202) 835-0245

chief of mission

Ambassador Dennis JETT

embassy

Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193 Maputo

mailing address

P. O. Box 783, Maputo

telephone

[258] (1) 49-27-97

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.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
4.1%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate
50%
(1989 est.)

Overview

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 is at 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. Peace accords signed in October 1992 improved chances of foreign investment, aided IMF-supported economic reforms, and supported continued economic recovery.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $9.8 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$252 million

expenditures

$607 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exports

$164.4 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%

partners

US, Western Europe, Germany, Japan

Imports

$1.03 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities

food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum

partners

US, Western Europe, USSR

External debt

$5 billion (1992 est.)

capacity

2,270,000 kW

production

1.745 billion kWh

consumption per capita

115 kWh (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

recipient

  • 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 - 4,941.3 (October 1993), 2,550.40 (1992), 1,763.99 (1991), 1,053.09 (1990), 844.34 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

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

total

26,498 km

paved

4,593 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 829 km; unimproved earth 21,076 km

Inland waterways

about 3,750 km of navigable routes

Pipelines

crude oil (not operating) 306 km; petroleum products 289 km

Ports

Maputo, Beira, Nacala

Merchant marine

4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,686 GRT/9,742 DWT

total

194

usable

134

with permanent-surface runways

24

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

5

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

28

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

4 fields

Branches

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

note

as of early 1994, Mozambique was demobilizing and reorganizing its defence forces

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 3,890,532; fit for military service 2,233,824

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $118 million, 8% of GDP (1993)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mozambique.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mozambique/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →