Mozambique

§1. 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.

§2. Mozambique Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  18 15 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 801,590 km²
  land: 784,090 km²
  water: 17,500 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly less than twice the size of California

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

Coastline:
  2,470 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
  tropical to subtropical

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

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

Natural resources:
  coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Land use:
  arable land: 5.43%
  permanent crops: 0.29%
  other: 94.28% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,070 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern
  provinces

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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Mozambique 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 growth rate:
  1.38% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  35.18 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  21.35 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 129.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 134.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 124.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 39.82 years
  male: 39.53 years
  female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  12.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  1.3 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  110,000 (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 are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Mozambican(s)
  adjective: Mozambican

Ethnic groups:
  indigenous tribal groups 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.)

§4. Mozambique 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 type:
  republic

Capital:
  Maputo

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

Independence:
  25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Constitution:
  30 November 1990

Legal system:
  based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

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; 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 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 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 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

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia) or
  IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman];
  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]; Human Rights and Development (Direitos
  Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
  OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
  chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
  FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
  embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
  mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
  telephone: [258] (1) 492797
  FAX: [258] (1) 490448

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

§5. Mozambique Economy

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 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $25.66 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.79 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  7.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 24.2%
  industry: 41.2%
  services: 34.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  9.2 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services 13% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  21% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  70% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.5%
  highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  39.6 (1996-97)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7.8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  44.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.031 billion
  expenditures: $1.93 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), 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 production growth rate:
  3.4% (2000)

Electricity - production:
  15.14 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  10.46 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  9.5 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  5.875 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  11,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  60 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  60 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  127.4 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-530.9 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $1.69 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity

Exports - partners:
  Netherlands 60.9%, South Africa 12.9%, Malawi 3.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $2.041 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products,
  foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 41.4%, Netherlands 11%, Portugal 3.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $1.227 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $966 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $632.8 million (2001)

Currency (code):
  metical (MZM)

Exchange rates:
  meticais per US dollar - 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003),
  23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Mozambique Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  77,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  708,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system but not available generally (telephone
    density is only 16 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: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2
    Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2001)

Internet country code:
  .mz

Internet hosts:
  7,228 (2005)

Internet users:
  138,000 (2005)

§7. Mozambique Transportation

Airports:
  158 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 136
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 34
  under 914 m: 87 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 649 km; refined products 292 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 3,123 km
  narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2004)

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 marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
  by type: cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Beira, Maputo, Nacala

§8. Mozambique Military

Military branches:
  Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Army Command, Navy (Marinha
    Mocambique, MM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Forca Aerea de Mocambique,
    FAM) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 3,793,373 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,751,223 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $78.03 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.3% (2005 est.)

§9. Mozambique Transnational Issues

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


<Factbook 2006>
