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 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 with rebel
  forces ended the fighting in 1992.

§2. Mozambique Geography

Location:
  Southern 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 kmē
  land: 784,090 kmē
  water: 17,500 kmē

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:
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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: 4%
  permanent crops: 0%
  permanent pastures: 56%
  forests and woodland: 18%
  other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  1,200 kmē (2000 est.)

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

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

§3. Mozambique People

Population:
  19,371,057
  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 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.72% (male 4,124,093; female 4,152,135)
  15-64 years: 54.53% (male 5,222,477; female 5,339,615)
  65 years and over: 2.75% (male 221,678; female 311,059) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.3% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  37.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  24.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  139.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 36.45 years male: 37.25 years
  female: 35.62 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.82 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  13.22% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  1.2 million (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  98,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Mozambican(s)
  adjective: Mozambican

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

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

Languages:
  Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.3%
  male: 58.4%
  female: 27% (1998 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); Cabo Delgado, Gaza,
  Inhambane, Manica, 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 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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister
    appointed by the president
  election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO reelected president; percent of
    vote - Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO 52.29%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 47.71%

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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 48.54%, Renamo-UE
    38.81%; seats by party - Frelimo 133, Renamo-UE 117
  note: Renamo-UE ran as a multiparty coalition; none of the other opposition
    parties received the 5% required to win parliamentary seats

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 the creation of 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 [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman]; Mozambique
  National Resistance - Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana -
  Uniao Eleitoral) or Renamo-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAET, 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
  FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

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

§5. Mozambique Economy

Economy - overview:
  Before the peace accord of October 1992, Mozambique's economy was
  devastated by a protracted civil war and socialist mismanagement. In 1994,
  it ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world. Since then,
  Mozambique has undertaken a series of economic reforms. Almost all aspects
  of the economy have been liberalized to some extent. More than 900 state
  enterprises have been privatized. A value-added tax, introduced in 1999,
  launched the government's comprehensive tax reform program. Pending are
  much needed commercial code reform and greater private sector involvement
  in the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors. Since 1996,
  inflation has been low and foreign exchange rates relatively stable. Albeit
  from a small base, Mozambique's economy grew at an annual 10% rate in
  1997-99, one of the highest growth rates in the world. Growth slowed and
  inflation rose in 2000 due to devastating flooding in the early part of the
  year. Both indicators should recover in 2001. The country depends on
  foreign assistance to balance the budget and to pay for a trade imbalance
  in which imports greatly outnumber exports. The trade situation should
  improve in the medium term, however, as trade and transportation links to
  South Africa and the rest of the region have been improved and sizeable
  foreign investments are beginning to materialize. Among these investments
  are metal production (aluminum, steel), natural gas, power generation,
  agriculture, fishing, timber, and transportation services. Mozambique has
  received a formal cancellation of a large portion of its external debt
  through an IMF initiative and is scheduled to receive additional relief.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $19.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.8% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 44% industry: 19%
  services: 37% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  70% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 31.7% (1996-97)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  11.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  7.4 million (1997 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
  21% (1997 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $466.9 million
  expenditures: $1.004 billion, including capital expenditures of $502.5
    million (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  7.2% (1999)

Electricity - production:
  2.3 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 13.04% hydro: 86.96%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  307 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  1.9 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  68 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, rice,
  coconuts, sisal, tropical fruits; beef, poultry

Exports:
  $390 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  prawns 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity (2000)

Exports - partners:
  EU 27%, South Africa 26%, Zimbabwe 15%, India 12%, US 5%, Japan 4% (1999
  est.)

Imports:
  $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs,
  textiles (2000)

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 44%, EU 16%, US 6.5%, Japan 6.5%, Pakistan 3%, India 3% (1999
  est.)

Debt - external:
  $1.4 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $1.04 billion (1998)

Currency:
  metical (MZM)

Currency code:
  MZM

Exchange rates:
  meticais per US dollar - 17,331.0 (January 2001), 5,199.8 (2000), 12,775.1
  (1999), 11,874.6 (1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Mozambique Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  65,354 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  18,500 (2000)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system but not available generally (telephone
    density is only 3.5 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: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and
    3 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 13, FM 16, shortwave 12 (2000)

Radios:
  730,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2000)

Televisions:
  67,600 (2000)

Internet country code:
  .mz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  8 (2000)

Internet users:
  6,250 note: 150 corporate accounts and 6,100 individual accounts (2000)

§7. Mozambique Transportation

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

Highways:
  total: 30,400 km
  paved: 5,685 km
  unpaved: 24,715 km (1996)

Waterways:
  3,750 km (navigable routes)

Pipelines:
  crude oil 306 km; petroleum products 289 km
  note: not operating

Ports and harbors:
  Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane

Merchant marine:
  total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
  ships by type: cargo 3 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  168 (2000 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: 3
  under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 146 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
  914 to 1,523 m: 37
  under 914 m: 92 (2000 est.)

§8. Mozambique Military

Military branches:
  Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Militia

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 4,627,052 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 2,670,933 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $35.1 million (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1% (2000 est.)

§9. Mozambique Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none

Illicit drugs:
  Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish, South Asian 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)
