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.

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

18 15 S, 35 00 E

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

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

2,470 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical to subtropical

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

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

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

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

1,180 sq km (2003)

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

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

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

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.)

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.)

total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

1.38% (2006 est.)

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

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

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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.)

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.)

total population: 39.82 years
male: 39.53 years
female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

4.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)

12.2% (2003 est.)

1.3 million (2003 est.)

110,000 (2003 est.)

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)

noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican

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

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

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)

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

conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique
local long form: Republica de Mocambique
local short form: Mocambique
former: Portuguese East Africa

republic

Maputo

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

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

30 November 1990

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

18 years of age; universal

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

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

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.

$25.66 billion (2005 est.)

$5.79 billion (2005 est.)

7.2% (2005 est.)

$1,300 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 24.2%
industry: 41.2%
services: 34.6% (2005 est.)

9.2 million (2000 est.)

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

21% (1997 est.)

70% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

39.6 (1996-97)

7.8% (2005 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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

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

3.4% (2000)

15.14 billion kWh (2003)

10.46 billion kWh (2003)

9.5 billion kWh (2003)

5.875 billion kWh (2003)

11,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

60 million cu m (2003 est.)

60 million cu m (2003 est.)

127.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

-$530.9 million (2005 est.)

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

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

Netherlands 60.9%, South Africa 12.9%, Malawi 3.3% (2004)

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

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

South Africa 41.4%, Netherlands 11%, Portugal 3.3% (2004)

$1.227 billion (2005 est.)

$966 million (2002 est.)

$632.8 million (2001)

metical (MZM)

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

calendar year

77,600 (2003)

708,000 (2004)

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)

AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)

1 (2001)

.mz

7,228 (2005)

138,000 (2005)

158 (2005)

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)

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)

gas 649 km; refined products 292 km (2004)

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

total: 30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1999)

460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2002)

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

Beira, Maputo, Nacala

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

none

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