Mozambique

Republic of MozambiqueRepublica Popular de Mocambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 86 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

Position18 15 S, 35 00 E

Area801,590 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel,

Populationas each edition published it

17.88 million July 1996 est. · 14.57m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.65% 1996 est. · 6.06% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

44.34 years 1996 est. · 48.03 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.23 children per woman 1996 est. · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

125.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 138 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$700 1995 est. · $115 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-2.5% 1995 est. · 0.3% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, | between South Africa and Tanzania

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Area

801,590sq km

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

Coastline

2,470km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

4,571km

border countries: 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

Terrain

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

lowest point:: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Land use

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

Environment

current issues:: civil strife and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences;
desertification;
pollution of surface and coastal waters
natural hazards:: severe droughts and floods occur in central and southern provinces; devastating cyclones
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

People

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Population

17,877,927

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 2.65% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

45.51Death

18.97Net migration

Net migration: note: by the end of 1994, an estimated 1.6 million Mozambican refugees, who fled to Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in earlier years from the civil war, had returned; an estimated 100,000 refugees remain to be repatriated from those countries

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years44.34

43.21 · 45.5

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy40.1%

57.7% · 23.3%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and others)Europeans 0.06%Euro-Africans 0.2%Indians 0.08%

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%Christian 30%Muslim 20%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 46% (male 4,141,915; female 4,115,191)
15-64 years:: 51% (male 4,324,102; female 4,868,518)
65 years and over:: 3% (male 184,606; female 243,595) (July 1996 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

note: by the end of 1994, an estimated 1.6 million Mozambican refugees, who fled to Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in earlier years from the civil war, had returned;

an estimated 100,000 refugees remain to be repatriated from those countries

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.76 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

125.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Mozambican(s)
adjective:: Mozambican

Languages

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Government

Republic; President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since December 1994) was appointed by the president

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Name of country

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

Data code

Type of government

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

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote
head of government:: Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since December 1994) was appointed by the president
cabinet:: Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral

Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

the members are elected by direct, universal, adult suffrage on a secret ballot for a term of five years;
election last held 27-29 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999);
results - percent vote by party NA, seats (250 total) FRELIMO won a slim majority

note: the presidential and legislative elections took place as called for in the 1992 peace accords; RENAMO participated in the elections

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president and judges elected by the Assembly

Political parties and leaders

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman;
Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), Afonso DHLAKAMA, president;
Democratic Union (DU), Antonio PALANGE, General Secretary

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Hipolito Pereira Zozimo PATRICIO
chancery:: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:: [1] (202) 293-7146

FAX

[1] (202) 835-0245

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Dennis Coleman JETT
embassy:: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address:: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone:: [258] (1) 492797

FAX

[258] (1) 490114

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

$700

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

-2.5%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 5.8% (1993 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

50%

(1989 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 33%industry 12%services 55% (1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$252 millionExpenditures

$607 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 2,360,000 kW

Electricity production

1.7 billionElectricity consumption per capita

58 (1993)

Economic 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 between civil warring factions, signed in October 1992, improved chances of foreign investment, aided IMF-supported economic reforms, and supported continued economic recovery. Elections held in 1994 diverted government attention from the economy, resulting in slippage and delays in the economic reform program.

Nonetheless, growth continued in 1994-95, and the economy should move forward in the late 1990s, given continued foreign help in meeting debt obligations. One key event in 1995 was the conclusion of negotiations with Enron of Houston, Texas, for a $700 million project to exploit the Pande natural gas fields.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.2 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA · by occupation: 90% engaged in agriculture

Industries

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

Agriculture

cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, rice, tropical fruits; beef, poultry

Exports

$170 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:: shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus
partners:: Spain, South Africa, US, Portugal, Japan

Imports

$1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities:: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum
partners:: South Africa, UK, France, Japan, Portugal

External debt

$5 billion (1992 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 10,908.0 (December 1995), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994), 3,874.2 (1993), 2,516.5 (1992), 1,434.5 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 131 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

27,287Railways

3,131

Highways: paved: 4,693 km · unpaved: 22,594 km (1991 est.) note: highway traffic impeded by land mines not removed at end of civil war · Railways: narrow gauge: 2,988 km 1.067-m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (1994)

Railways

total:: 3,131 km
narrow gauge:: 2,988 km 1.067-m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (1994)

Highways

total:: 27,287 km
paved:: 4,693 km
unpaved:: 22,594 km (1991 est.)

note: highway traffic impeded by land mines not removed at end of civil war

Communications

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

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Fixed lines

59,000

(1983 est.)

Telephone system

fair system of tropospheric scatter, open-wire lines, and microwave radio relay

domestic:: microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
international:: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

males age 15-49:: 3,767,855
males fit for military service:: 2,162,388 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $84 million, 5.3% of GDP (1994)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mozambique.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mozambique/1996.

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