Mozambique
Republic of Mozambique conventional short form: Mozambique local long form: Republica de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique former: Portuguese East Africa
republicIndependence 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Mozambique as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development. The ruling party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement with rebel forces ended the fighting in 1992.
Geography
Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
17 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 4,571 km border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Land use
arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 56% forests and woodland: 18% other: 22% (1993 est.)
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
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
- 19,371,057 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS;
- this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected;
- the 1997 Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 42.72% (male 4,124,093; female 4,152,135) 15-64 years: 54.53% (male 5,222,477; female 5,339,615) 65 years and over: 2.75% (male 221,678; female 311,059) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 36.45 years male: 37.25 years female: 35.62 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.3% male: 58.4% female: 27% (1998 est.)
Government
Republic; President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique conventional short form: Mozambique local long form: Republica de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique former: Portuguese East Africa
Administrative divisions
10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004);
- prime minister appointed by the president election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO reelected president;
- percent of vote - Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO 52.29%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 47.71%
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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 48.54%, Renamo-UE 38.81%;
- seats by party - Frelimo 133, Renamo-UE 117 note: Renamo-UE ran as a multiparty coalition;
- none of the other opposition parties received the 5% required to win parliamentary seats
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of its professional judges are appointed by the president and some are elected by the Assembly);
- other courts include an Administrative Court, customs courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courts note: although the constitution provides for the creation of a separate Constitutional Court, one has never been established;
- in its absence the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases
Political parties and leaders
- Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or Frelimo [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman];
- Mozambique National Resistance - Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana - Uniao Eleitoral) or Renamo-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAET, 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo telephone: [258] (1) 492797
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.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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. A value-added tax, introduced in 1999, launched the government's comprehensive tax reform program. Pending are much needed commercial code reform and greater private sector involvement in the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors.
Since 1996, inflation has been low and foreign exchange rates relatively stable. Albeit from a small base, Mozambique's economy grew at an annual 10% rate in 1997-99, one of the highest growth rates in the world. Growth slowed and inflation rose in 2000 due to devastating flooding in the early part of the year.
Both indicators should recover in 2001. The country depends on foreign assistance to balance the budget and to pay for a trade imbalance in which imports greatly outnumber exports. The trade situation should improve in the medium term, however, as trade and transportation links to South Africa and the rest of the region have been improved and sizeable foreign investments are beginning to materialize.
Among these investments are metal production (aluminum, steel), natural gas, power generation, agriculture, fishing, timber, and transportation services. Mozambique has received a formal cancellation of a large portion of its external debt through an IMF initiative and is scheduled to receive additional relief.
Budget
revenues: $466.9 million expenditures: $1.004 billion, including capital expenditures of $502.5 million (2000 est.)
Industries
food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco
Agriculture - products
cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, rice, coconuts, sisal, tropical fruits; beef, poultry
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs, textiles (2000)
Exchange rates
meticais per US dollar - 17,331.0 (January 2001), 5,199.8 (2000), 12,775.1 (1999), 11,874.6 (1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: fair system but not available generally (telephone density is only 3.5 telephones for each 1,000 persons) domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT ships by type: cargo 3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 146 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 92 (2000 est.)
Military
Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Militia
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish, South Asian heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets;
- producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Mozambique.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mozambique/2001.