Mozambique

Republic of MozambiqueRepublica de Mocambique

republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Mozambique as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 103 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

19.12 million July 1999 est. · 14.57m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.54% 1999 est. · 6.06% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

45.89 years 1999 est. · 48.03 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.88 children per woman 1999 est. · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

117.56 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 138 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$900 1998 est. · $115 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

11% 1998 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

19,124,335

(July 1999 est.)note: the 1997 Mozambican census reported a population of 16,542,800; other estimates range as low as 16.9 milliongrowth rate: 2.54% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

42.75Death

17.31Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)45.89

44.73 · 47.09

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)40.1%

57.7% · 23.3%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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 4,236,545; female 4,325,586)
15-64 years:: 53% (male 4,941,048; female 5,181,282)
65 years and over:: 2% (male 182,857; female 257,017) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 0.98 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 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

117.56 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 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)

18 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 October 1999)

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

-Frelimo 129Renamo 112DU 9

Percent of vote

-Frelimo 44.33%Renamo 33.78%DU 5.15%other 16.74%

Country name

conventional long form:: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form:: Mozambique
local long form:: Republica 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 October 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%, DU 5.15%, other 16.74%; seats by party--Frelimo 129, Renamo 112, DU 9

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

Front for the Liberation of Alberto CHISSANO, chairman];
Mozambique National Resistance secretary];
note--the DU may have broken up into the three parties that composed it--Liberal and Democratic Party of Mozambique, National Democratic Party, and National Party of Mozambique

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Bryan Dean CURRAN
embassy:: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address:: P. O. Box 783, Maputo

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

Before the peace accord of October 1992, | Mozambique's economy was devastated by a protracted civil war and | socialist mismanagement.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$900

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

11%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 39% (1997)

Inflation, consumer prices

-1.3%

(1998 est.)

Debt--external

$5.7billion

(December 1997)

GDP--composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 35%industry 13%services 52% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$402 millionExpenditures

$799 million (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production

426 million (1997)Electricity consumption

1.11 billion (1997)Electricity imports

685.6 million (1997)

Economy--overview

Before the peace accord of October 1992, Mozambique's economy was devastated by a protracted civil war and socialist mismanagement. In 1994, it ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world. Since then, Mozambique has undertaken a series of economic reforms. Almost all aspects of the economy have been liberalized to some extent.

More than 900 state enterprises have been privatized. Pending are tax and much needed commercial code reform, as well as greater private sector involvement in the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors. Since 1996, inflation has been low and foreign exchange rates stable.

Albeit from a small base, Mozambique achieved one of the highest growth rates in the world in 1997-98. Still, the country depends on foreign assistance to balance the budget and to pay for a trade imbalance in which imports outnumber exports by three to one. The medium-term outlook for the country looks bright, as trade and transportation links to South Africa and the rest of the region are expected to improve and sizable foreign investments materialize.

Among these investments are metal production (aluminum, steel), natural gas, power generation, agriculture (cotton, sugar), fishing, timber, and transportation services. Additional exports in these areas should bring in needed foreign exchange.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$16.8 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry 9.5%, services 5.5%, wage earners working abroad 5% (1993 est)

Unemployment rate

Industries

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

Electricity--production by source

NA%

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$295 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities

shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus (1997)

Exports--partners

Spain 17%, South Africa 16%, Portugal 12%, US 10%, Japan, Malawi, India, Zimbabwe (1996 est.)

Imports

$965 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities

food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum (1997)

Imports--partners

South Africa 55%, Zimbabwe 7%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Portugal 4%, US, Japan, India (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$1.115 billion (1995)

Currency

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1--12,394.0 (January 1999), 11,874.6 (1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

70,000

(1998 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)