from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Mozambique
Introduction
Background: 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 Front for the
Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) 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
between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National
Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992.
In December 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate
transition as Joaquim CHISSANO stepped down after 18
years in office. His newly elected successor, Armando
Emilio GUEBUZA, has promised to continue the sound
economic policies that have encouraged foreign
investment.
Geography
Location: Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel,
between South Africa and Tanzania
Geographic 18 15 S, 35 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km
Area - slightly less than twice the size of California
comparative:
Land total: 4,571 km
boundaries: border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km,
Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km,
Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Coastline: 2,470 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high
plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
Elevation lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m
Natural coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum,
resources: graphite
Land use: arable land: 5.43%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 94.28% (2005)
Irrigated 1,180 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in
hazards: central and southern provinces
Environment - a long civil war and recurrent drought in the
current hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the
issues: population to urban and coastal areas with adverse
environmental consequences; desertification; pollution
of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for
ivory is a problem
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most
note: fertile part of the country
People
Population: 19,686,505
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 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 4,229,802/female 4,177,235)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 5,207,149/female 5,519,291)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 230,616/female 322,412)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.38% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 35.18 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 21.35 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 129.24 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 134.31 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 124.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 39.82 years
expectancy at male: 39.53 years
birth: female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 12.2% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 1.3 million (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 110,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks
in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)
Nationality: noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican
Ethnic groups: African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and
others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians
0.08%
Religions: Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%,
other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)
Languages: Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8%
(official; spoken by 27% of population as a second
language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%,
other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages
0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8%
male: 63.5%
female: 32.7% (2003 est.)
Government
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
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Maputo
geographic coordinates: 25 58 S, 32 35 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city
divisions: (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica,
Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala,
Tete, Zambezia
Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
National Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
holiday:
Constitution: 30 November 1990
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2
branch: February 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO (since
17 February 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election
last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held December
2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Armando GUEBUZA elected president;
percent of vote - Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%, Afonso
DHLAKAMA 31.7%
Legislative unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
branch: Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote on a secret ballot to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held
December 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO
62%, RENAMO 29.7%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO
90
Judicial Supreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of its
branch: 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 a separate
Constitutional Court, one has never been established;
in its absence the Supreme Court reviews constitutional
cases
Political Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de
parties and Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio
leaders: GUEBUZA, president]; Mozambique National
Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional
Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or RENAMO-UE [Afonso
DHLAKAMA, president]
Political Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e
pressure Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica
groups and [Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman]; Movement for Peace and
leaders: Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e Cidadania);
Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos
Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president];
Human Rights and Development (Direitos Humanos e
Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary
general]
International ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF
(observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
representation chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC
in the US: 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
representation embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone: [258] (1) 492797
FAX: [258] (1) 490448
Flag three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and
description: 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
Economy - At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the
overview: world's poorest countries. Socialist mismanagement and
a brutal civil war from 1977-92 exacerbated the
situation. In 1987, the government embarked on a series
of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the
economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance
and with political stability since the multi-party
elections in 1994, have led to dramatic improvements in
the country's growth rate. Inflation was reduced to
single digits during the late 1990s although it
returned to double digits in 2000-03. Fiscal reforms,
including the introduction of a value-added tax and
reform of the customs service, have improved the
government's revenue collection abilities. In spite of
these gains, Mozambique remains dependent upon foreign
assistance for much of its annual budget, and the
majority of the population remains below the poverty
line. Subsistence agriculture continues to employ the
vast majority of the country's work force. A
substantial trade imbalance persists although the
opening of the Mozal aluminum smelter, the country's
largest foreign investment project to date, has
increased export earnings. In late 2005, and after
years of negotiations, the government signed an
agreement to gain Portugal's majority share of the
Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity (HCB) company, a dam that
was not transferred to Mozambique at independence
because of the ensuing civil war and unpaid debts. More
power is needed for additional investment projects in
titanium extraction and processing and garment
manufacturing that could further close the import/
export gap. Mozambique's once substantial foreign debt
has been reduced through forgiveness and rescheduling
under the IMF's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
and Enhanced HIPC initiatives, and is now at a
manageable level.
GDP $26.18 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $5.727 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 7.5% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,300 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 26.2%
composition by industry: 34.8%
sector: services: 39% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 9.2 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 81%
by occupation: industry: 6%
services: 13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment 21% (1997 est.)
rate:
Population 70% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.5%
income or highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 39.6 (1996-97)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 6.5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 29.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.031 billion
expenditures: $1.93 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: 21% of GDP
Agriculture - cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca),
products: corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits,
potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints),
aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass,
asbestos, tobacco
Industrial 3.4% (2000)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 15.14 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 2.9%
production by hydro: 97.1%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 10.46 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 9.5 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 5.875 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 11,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 0 bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 60 million cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 60 million cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 127.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-639 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $1.69 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus,
commodities: timber; bulk electricity
Exports - Belgium 25.5%, South Africa 12.2%, Spain 11.6%, Italy
partners: 11.6%, Germany 7.7% (2005)
Imports: $2.041 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals,
commodities: metal products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - South Africa 36.3%, Australia 12.8%, India 5.1% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $1.051 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $5.456 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $632.8 million (2001)
recipient:
Currency metical (MZM)
(code):
Currency code: MZM
Exchange meticais per US dollar - 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004),
rates: 23,782 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 69,700 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.22 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: fair system but not available
system: generally (extremely low density with less than 1 main
line per 100 persons)
domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and
trunk connection by microwave radio relay and
tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 258; satellite earth
stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian
Ocean)
Radio AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 730,000 (1997)
Television 1 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 67,600 (2000)
Internet .mz
country code:
Internet 6,985 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 11 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 138,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 158 (2006)
Airports - total: 22
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Airports - total: 136
with unpaved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 87 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 918 km; refined products 294 km (2006)
Railways: total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m
gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1999)
Waterways: 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along
Cahora Bassa Lake) (2002)
Merchant total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2006)
Ports and Beira, Maputo, Nacala
terminals:
Military
Military Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Mozambique
branches: Army, Mozambique Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM),
Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM)
(2006)
Manpower males age 18-49: 3,793,373 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,751,223 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 185,314 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military $78.03 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.3% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international:
Illicit drugs: Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish
and 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); corruption
and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system
vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a
well-developed financial infrastructure limits the
country's utility as a money-laundering center