2008 Edition

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 until the mid 1990's. 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 elected successor, Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, promised to continue the sound economic policies that have encouraged foreign investment. Mozambique has seen very strong economic growth since the end of the civil war largely due to post-conflict reconstruction.

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; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.63 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%) per capita: 32 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

18 15 S, 35 00 E

Geography - note

the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (2003)

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: 5.43% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 94.28% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

216 cu km (1992)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.5% (male 4,762,335/female 4,711,422) 15-64 years: 52.7% (male 5,472,184/female 5,736,154) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 251,026/female 351,580) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

38.21 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

20.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

12.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1.3 million (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 107.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 110.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 104.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 41.04 years male: 41.62 years female: 40.44 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47.8% male: 63.5% female: 32.7% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Median age

total: 17.4 years male: 17 years female: 17.8 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mozambican(s) adjective: Mozambican

Net migration rate

NA (2008 est.)

Population

21,284,700 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, higher death rates, lower population 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 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

1.792% (2008 est.)

Religions

Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 7 years (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.24 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Capital

name: Maputo geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

30 November 1990

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Todd C. CHAPMAN embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo telephone: [258] (21) 492797

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Armando Alexandre PANGUENE chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146

Executive branch

chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2 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 in 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%

FAX

[1] (202) 835-0245

[258] (21) 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, AU, C, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 a separate Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO 29.7%, other 8.3%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Political parties and leaders

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA]; Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or RENAMO-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman]; Human Rights and Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general]; Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry

Budget

revenues: $2.302 billion expenditures: $2.63 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9.95% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19.52% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

metical (MZM)

Currency code

MZM

Current account balance

-$795.1 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$4.189 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.3 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$1.286 billion (2005)

Economy - overview

At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the 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, and although it returned to double digits in 2000-06, in 2007 inflation had slowed to 8%, while GDP growth reached 7.5%. 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. At the end of 2007, and after years of negotiations, the government took over 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. In July 2007 the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a Compact with Mozambique; the Mozambican government moved rapidly to ratify the Compact and propose a plan for funding.

Electricity - consumption

9.555 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

12.83 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports

9.839 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production

14.62 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

meticais (MZM) per US dollar - 26.264 (2007), 25.4 (2006), 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003) note: in 2006 Mozambique revalued its currency, with 1000 old meticais equal to 1 new meticais

Exports

$2.412 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity

Exports - partners

Italy 19.4%, Belgium 18.4%, Spain 12.5%, South Africa 12.3%, UK 7.3%, China 4.1% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 23% industry: 30.1% services: 46.9% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$800 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.3% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.559 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$17.64 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 39.4% (2002)

Imports

$2.811 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners

South Africa 36.7%, Australia 8.5%, China 4.6% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.2% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

21.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

9.6 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 81% industry: 6% services: 13% (1997 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

1.45 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.65 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

127.4 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

14,390 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

13,240 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

70% (2001 est.)

Public debt

22.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.445 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$877.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$1.261 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$1.467 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

21% (1997 est.)

Internet country code

.mz

Internet hosts

22,532 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

11 (2002)

Internet users

200,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)

Radios

730,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: fair system with an extremely low density of less than 1 fixed line per 100 persons domestic: the telecommunications sector is shackled with a heavy state presence, lack of competition, and high operating costs and charges; stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now includes all the main cities and key roads, including those from Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the national highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor, and from Nampula to Nacala international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

67,000 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.3 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2000)

Televisions

67,600 (2000)

Airports

147 (2007)

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 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 125 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 36 under 914 m: 79 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 2 by type: cargo 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 964 km; refined products 278 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Beira, Maputo, Nacala

Railways

total: 3,123 km narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2006)

Roadways

total: 30,400 km paved: 5,685 km unpaved: 24,715 km (2000)

Waterways

460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 4,545,975 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,287,526 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 257,261 female: 259,114 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

0.8% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)

Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM)

Mozambique Army, Mozambique Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM) (2006)

Disputes - international

none

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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Mozambique is a source and, to a much lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; the use of forced and bonded child laborers is a common practice in Mozambique's rural areas; women and girls are trafficked from rural to urban areas of Mozambique, as well as to South Africa, for domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; young men and boys are trafficked to South Africa for farm work and mining tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for the second consecutive year, Mozambique is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007; while the government conducted investigations into cases of human trafficking, there were no prosecutions or convictions of traffickers; government efforts to protect victims of trafficking continued to suffer from limited resources and a lack of political commitment (2008)