Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Mozambique (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 4,692,126/female 4,647,960)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 5,345,618/female 5,633,511) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 244,886/female 341,484) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 147 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
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) |
Area | total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km water: 17,500 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of California |
Background | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA | 38.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $2.163 billion
expenditures: $2.623 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Maputo
geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | tropical to subtropical |
Coastline | 26 km | 2,470 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | 30 November 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique local long form: Republica de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique former: Portuguese East Africa |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 20.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $4.284 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | 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 FAX: [258] (21) 490448 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA
chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146 FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $1.286 billion (2005) |
Economy - overview | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. | 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 | - | 9.127 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 12 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 9.588 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 13.17 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | 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 |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08% |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | meticais 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 |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
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% |
Exports | $NA | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | copra | aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | Netherlands 59.7%, South Africa 15.2%, Zimbabwe 3.2% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 23.1%
industry: 30.2% services: 46.7% (2007 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 7.5% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 18 15 S, 35 00 E |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 39.4% (2002) |
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 |
Imports | $NA | 13,320 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | South Africa 36.3%, Netherlands 15.6%, Portugal 3.3% (2006) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | 25 June 1975 (from Portugal) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 10% (2007 est.) |
Industries | copra products and tourism | food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 109.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 112.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 106.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 8% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | none | 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, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 1,180 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | 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 |
Labor force | NA | 9.6 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | agriculture: 81%
industry: 6% services: 13% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 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 |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 5.43%
permanent crops: 0.29% other: 94.28% (2005) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | 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) |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 40.9 years
male: 41.4 years female: 40.4 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8% male: 63.5% female: 32.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
by type: cargo 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | - |
Military branches | - | Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Mozambique Army, Mozambique Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM) (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.8% (2006) |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Independence Day, 25 June (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces |
Natural resources | fish | coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite |
Net migration rate | NA | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 964 km; refined products 278 km (2007) |
Political parties and leaders | none | 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 | none | 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] |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 20,905,585
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 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 70% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | 1.803% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.949 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.717 male(s)/female total population: 0.968 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | NA | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station |
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 | 287 (1992) | 67,000 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 2.339 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (2000) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west |
Total fertility rate | NA | 5.29 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | 21% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | - | 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2007) |