1998 Edition

Area

total: 801,590 sq km land: 784,090 sq km water: 17,500 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly less than twice the size of California

Climate

tropical to subtropical

Coastline

2,470 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

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

Geographic coordinates

18 15 S, 35 00 E

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (1993 est.)

Land 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.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

coal, titanium, natural gas

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 4,129,779; female 4,232,091) 15-64 years: 53% (male 4,807,742; female 5,043,299) 65 years and over: 2% (male 177,895; female 250,663) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

43.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

17.81 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Infant mortality rate

120.26 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 45.37 years male: 44.22 years female: 46.55 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 40.1% male: 57.7% female: 23.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mozambican(s) adjective: Mozambican

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

18,641,469 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

2.57% (1998 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

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: 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

6 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular-provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Constitution

30 November 1990

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique conventional short form: Mozambique local long form: Republica Popular de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique

Data code

MZ

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%

FAX

[1] (202) 835-0245 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 telephone: [258] (1) 492797

[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

Government type

republic

Independence

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

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

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 (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or Frelimo [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman]; Mozambique National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or Renamo [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president]; Democratic Union or DU [Antonio PALANGE, general secretary]

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

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 note: the presidential and legislative elections took place as called for in the 1992 peace accords; Renamo participated in the elections

National capital

Maputo

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

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

Budget

revenues: $324 million expenditures: $600 million, including capital expenditures of $310 million (1996 est.)

Currency

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Debt-external

$5.7 billion (December 1997)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy-overview

Before the peace accord of October 1992, Mozambique had been devastated by civil war and was one of the poorest countries on the globe. Prospects subsequently improved, and with its solid economic performance in 1996-97, Mozambique has begun to exploit its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Foreign assistance programs help supply the foreign exchange required to support the budget and pay for imports of goods and services. 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 700 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 reform of tax collection and the facilitation of private enterprise in the transportation, energy, and telecommunications sectors.

Electricity-capacity

2.358 million kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

73 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

465 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1-11,635.0 (January 1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994), 3,874.2 (1993)

Exports

total value: $226 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus partners: Spain, South Africa, Japan, Portugal, US

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$14.6 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

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

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$800 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

8% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $802 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum partners: South Africa 38%, US, Japan, Portugal, France

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

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

Inflation rate-consumer price index

5.8% (1997)

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 29, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

700,000 (1992 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)

Telephones

59,000 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

44,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA

Airports

174 (1997 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: 4 under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 152 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 38 under 914 m: 97 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 30,400 km paved: 5,685 km unpaved: 24,715 km (1996 est.) note: highway traffic impeded by land mines not removed at end of civil war

Merchant marine

total: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,694 GRT/9,724 DWT (1997 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil (not operating) 306 km; petroleum products 289 km Ports and harbors: Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Cidade de Nacala, Pemba

Railways

total: 3,131 km narrow gauge: 2,988 km 1.067-m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (1994)

Waterways

about 3,750 km of navigable routes

Military branches

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

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$84 million (1994)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

5.3% (1994)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 4,265,778 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 2,457,587 (1998 est.)

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