Mozambique

Republic of Mozambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 96 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, between

Populationas each edition published it

18.17 million July 1997 est. · 14.57m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.6% 1997 est. · 6.06% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

44.85 years 1997 est. · 48.03 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.11 children per woman 1997 est. · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

122.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 138 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$670 1995 est. · $115 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1995 est. · 0.3% in 1993

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 801,590 sq km

arable land 4%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 56%forests and woodland 18%other 22% (1993 est.)irrigated 1,180 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

801,590sq km

land : 784,090 sq kmwater: 17,500 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of California

Coastline

2,470km

exclusive economic zone : 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

2,436m

Monte Bingalowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

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

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

Natural hazards

severe droughts and floods occur in central and southern provinces; devastating cyclones

Environment - current issues

a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences;
desertification;
pollution of surface and coastal waters

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:: Desertification, Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

18,165,476

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

44.33Death

18.31Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1997 est.)44.85

43.71 · 46.02

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)

57.7% · 23.3%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write · total population : 40.1%

Ethnic groups

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:: 45% (male 4,021,791; female 4,136,853)
15-64 years:: 53% (male 4,678,819; female 4,910,085)
65 years and over:: 2% (male 173,177; female 244,751) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 0.97 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

122.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Mozambican(s)
adjective:: Mozambican

Languages

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Government

Republic; President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986); Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since NA December 1994)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53.3%

Joaquim CHISSANO 53.3%Afonso DHLAKAMA 33.3%election last held 27 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)

Legislature, 250 seats, elected 27-29 October 1994one dot, one seat

Frelimo 129RENAMO 112Democratic Union 9

Percent of vote

Frelimo 44.33%RENAMO 33.78%Democratic Union 5.15%other 16.74%

Country name

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986);
note - before being popularly elected, CHISSANO was elected president by FRELIMO's Central Committee 4 November 1986 (reelected by the Committee 30 July 1989)
head of government:: Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since NA December 1994)
cabinet :: Cabinet
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 27 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO elected president; percent of vote - Joaquim CHISSANO 53.3%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 33.3%

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on a secret ballot to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 27-29 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999)
election results:: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 44.33%, RENAMO 33.78%, Democratic Union 5.15%, other 16.74%; seats by party - Frelimo 129, RENAMO 112, Democratic Union 9

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 or FRELIMO [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman];
Mozambique National Resistance or RENAMO [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president];
Democratic Union or DU [Antonio PALANGE, general secretary]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA
chancery:: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:: [1] (202) 293-7146

FAX

[1] (202) 835-0245

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter Michael McKINLEY
embassy:: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address:: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone :: [258] (1) 492797

FAX

[258] (1) 490114

Flag description

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.

22 fields

Real growth rate

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

Inflation, consumer prices

22%

(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

50%

(1989 est.)

Debt - external

$5.5billion

(1995)

GDP - composition by sector(1994 est.)

agriculture 33%industry 12%services 55% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$252 millionExpenditures

$607 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Economy - overview

One of Africa's poorest countries, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Agricultural output is at only 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20%-40% of capacity.

Foreign assistance programs supply the foreign exchange required to pay for imports of goods and services. The peace accord, signed in October 1992, has improved Mozambique's prospects. The restoration of electrical transmission lines to South Africa and the completion of a new transmission line to Zimbabwe (permitting the giant Cahora Bassa hydropower plant to export large amounts of electricity), proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline to South Africa, and reform of transportation services will greatly improve foreign exchange receipts.

The Mozambique and South African governments are developing the Maputo corridor, linking the port of Maputo with Witbank, South Africa. In the past few years, more than 500 state enterprises have been privatized, including the country's largest commercial bank and a number of sizable manufacturing firms.

Other pending reform measures are the privatization of customs operations, the reform of tax collection, and the facilitation of private enterprise in the transportation, energy, and telecommunications sectors.

GDP

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $670 (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA · by occupation: 80% engaged in agriculture note: in 1993, 47% of the wage earners were employed in industry, 28% in transportation and communication; traditionally, a large number of Mozambicans work abroad

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

2.36 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

490 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

45 kWh (1993)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value :: $169 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities:: shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus
partners:: Spain, South Africa, US, Portugal, Japan

Imports

total value:: $784 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities :: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum
partners:: South Africa 44%, UK, France, Japan, Portugal

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA

Currency

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 11,455.0 (December 1996), 11,293.8 (1996), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994), 3,874.2 (1993), 2,516.5 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 29, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

700,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

44,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m : 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m : 10 914 to 1,523 m: 5

Networkskm

Highways

29,810Railways

3,131

Highways: paved: 5,545 km · unpaved : 24,265 km (1995 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:: 29,810 km
paved:: 5,545 km
unpaved :: 24,265 km (1995 est.)

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

Waterways

about 3,750 km of navigable routes

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba

Merchant marine

total : 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,694 GRT/9,724 DWT (1996 est.)

Airports

129 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m : 12 914 to 1,523 m: 32 (1996 est.)

Military

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

5 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3%

(1994)

Military branches

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

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 4,149,766 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 2,390,791 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$84 million (1994)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

Southern African transit hub for South American cocaine probably destined for the European and US markets; producer of hashish and methaqualone NAMIBIA

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mozambique.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mozambique/1997.

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