1988 Edition

Administrative divisions

10 provinces subdivided into 112 districts; administrators are appointed by central government

Boundary disputes

short section with Botswana is indefinite; occupied by South Africa

Branch

unicameral legislature (People's Assembly; last convened in December 1985)

Capital

Maputo

Climate

tropical to subtropical

desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Coastline

2,470 km

1,489 km

Communists

about 50,000 FRELIMO members

Comparative area

about the size of Texas

about twice the size of California

Elections

legislative elections held in many areas of the country in 1986 Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) is the only legal party and is a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR

Environment

severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification

inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification

Ethnic divisions

majority from indigenous tribal groups; about 10,000 Europeans, 35,000 Euro-Africans, 15,000 Indians

85.6% black, 7.5% white, 6.9% mixed; about half the blacks belong to Ovambo tribe

Exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Government leaders

Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, President (since November 1986); Mario da Graca MACHUNGO, Prime Minister (since July 1986)

Infant mortality rate

109/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

95% engaged in agriculture

about 500,000 (1981); 60% agriculture, 19% industry and commerce, 8% services, 7% government, 6% mining; 15-17% unemployment

Land boundaries

4,627 km total

3,798 km total

Land use

4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 56% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 64% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Language

Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects

Afrikaans principal language of about 60% of white population, German of 33%, and English of 7% (all official); several indigenous languages

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Life expectancy

men 44, women 47

Literacy

14%

100% whites, 16% nonwhites

Member of

AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June

Nationality

noun — Mozambican(s); adjective— Mozambican

noun — Namibian(s); adjective— Namibian

Organized labor

7 trade unions, whose membership is almost exclusively white and mulatto, except new mineworkers union which has sizable black membership

Population

14,535,805 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.64%

1,273,263 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.39%

Religion

60% indigenous beliefs, 30% Christian, 10% Muslim

whites predominantly Christian, nonwhites either Christian or indigenous beliefs

Special notes

none

Walvis Bay area of South Africa is almost an enclave

Suffrage

universal adult

Terrain

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

mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Territorial sea

12 nm

6 nm

Total area

801,590 km2; land area: 784,090 km2

824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2

Type

people's republic

Administrative divisions

10 tribal homelands, mostly in northern sector, and zone open to white settlement with 26 magisterial districts similar to a province of South Africa

Branches

since September 1977 Administrator General, appointed by South African Government, has exercised coordinative functions over zone of white settlement and tribal homelands, where traditional chiefs and representative bodies exercise limited autonomy; veto power over legislation proposed by National Assembly; interim government established June 1985 with eight-member Cabinet, 16-member Constitutional Council and 62-member National Assembly

Capital

Windhoek

Communists

no Communist Party; SWAPO guerrilla force is supported by USSR, Cuba, and other Communist states as well as the Organization for African Unity

Elections

last election of Namibian National Assembly, December 1978 Political parties and leaders: six parties belong to multiracial South Africanappointed Transitional Government of National Unity Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk Mudge; SouthWest African National Union (SWANU), Moses Katjiuongua; SouthWest African People's Organization Democrats (SWAPO-D), Andreas Shipanga; SouthWest African National Party (SWANP), Kosie Pretorius; Colored Labor Party, David Bezuidenhout; Rehoboth Free Democratic Party (RFDP), Hans Diergaardt; other parties — United Democratic Party, formed in September 1985 after merger of two Caprivi parties, Mishake Muyongo; Federal Party, largely white, English-speaking, liberal; Christian Democratic Action Party, a primarily Ovambo party formed in early 1982 as a result of a split in the DTA, Peter Kalangula

Government leader

Louis A. PIENAAR, Administrator General (since July 1985)

Legal system

based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law

Member of

FAO, ILO, UNESCO, WFTU, WHO

Official name

People's Republic of

Namibia

Other political or pressure groups

SouthWest African People's Organization (SWAPO), led by Sam Nujoma, maintains a foreign-based guerrilla movement; is predominantly Ovambo but has some influence among other tribes; is the only Namibian group recognized by the UN General Assembly and the Organization of African Unity

Suffrage

universal white adult suffrage at territorial level; lower level elections open to blacks

Type

former German colony of SouthWest Africa mandated to South Africa by League of Nations in 1920; UN formally ended South Africa's mandate on 27 October 1966, but South Africa has retained administrative control

Voting strength

(1978 election) Namibian National Assembly— DTA, 22 seats; SWANP, 8 seats; SWANU, 8 seats; SWAPO-D, 8 seats; CP, 8 seats; RFDP, 8 seats; Assembly appointed in June 1985

Agriculture

cash crops — cotton, cashew nuts, sugar, tea, copra, sisal, rice; other crops — corn, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, beans, sorghum, cassava; imports — corn

Budget

deficit $250 million (1986 est.)

Electric power

2,225,000 kW capacity; 1,640 million kWh produced, 120 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$90 million (1986 est.); cashews, shrimp, sugar, tea, cotton

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

13,500 metric tons (1984)

GNP

$1.3 billion, about $90 per capita (1986 est); average annual growth rate -8.5% (1981-85 est.)

Imports

$525 million (1986 est.); refined petroleum products, machinery, transportation goods, spare parts, consumer goods, military arms and equipment

Major industries

food processing (chiefly sugar, tea, wheat, flour, cashew kernels); chemicals (vegetable oil, oilcakes, soap, paints); petroleum products; beverages; textiles; nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos, cement products); tobacco

Major trade partners

exports — US, Western Europe; imports — Western and Eastern Europe, USSR

Monetary conversion rate

42 meticais=US$l (January 1987)

Natural resources

coal, natural gas, copper, bauxite, titanium

Airfields

241 total, 212 usable; 28 with permanent-surface runways; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 32 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Border Guard, Naval Command, Air Force)

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

Highways

26,498 km total; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

about 3,750 km of navigable routes

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1985, $240 million; 38% of central government budget Namibia WINDHOEK I Oobabii *R*hoboth South Ocean \ K*Mm»nthoop Ludetit Sec regional map VII

Military manpower

males 15-49, 3,255,000; 1,868,000 fit for military service

Pipelines

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

Ports

3 major (Maputo, Beira, Nacala), 2 significant minor

Railroads

3,436 km total; 3,288 km 1.067meter gauge; 148 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; (Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are closed because of insurgency)

Telecommunications

fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radiorelay; 57,400 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 9 AM, 3 FM, and 1 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station; 3 domestic satellite stations Defense Forces