Mozambique (2004) | Mozambique (2005) | |
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Age structure | 0-14 years: 43.6% (male 4,126,178; female 4,074,759)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 4,944,416; female 5,145,167) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 215,418; female 305,793) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 4,206,654/female 4,157,898)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 5,088,250/female 5,416,573) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 224,682/female 312,646) (2005 est.) |
Airports | 158 (2003 est.) | 158 (2004 est.) |
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 steped 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. | 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. |
Birth rate | 36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 35.79 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.089 billion
expenditures: $1.269 billion, including capital expenditures of $479.4 million (2003 est.) |
revenues: $1.186 billion
expenditures: $1.398 billion, including capital expenditures of $479.4 million (2004 est.) |
Currency | metical (MZM) | - |
Death rate | 23.86 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 20.99 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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) 490448 |
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 |
Electricity - consumption | 1.39 billion kWh (2001) | 5.046 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 5.8 billion kWh (2001) | 7.1 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 500 million kWh (2001) | 3.907 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 7.193 billion kWh (2001) | 8.859 billion kWh (2002) |
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 |
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 |
Exchange rates | meticais per US dollar - 23,782.3 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,703.6 (2001), 15,447.1 (2000), 13,028.6 (1999)
note: effective October 2000, the exchange rate is determined as the weighted average of buying and selling exchange rates of all transactions of commercial banks and stock exchanges with the public |
meticais per US dollar - 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001), 15,227 (2000)
note: effective October 2000, the exchange rate is determined as the weighted average of buying and selling exchange rates of all transactions of commercial banks and stock exchanges with the public |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA |
Exports - partners | Belgium 26%, South Africa 14.4%, Italy 9.6%, Spain 9.5%, Germany 8.3%, Zimbabwe 4.7% (2003) | Netherlands 60.9%, South Africa 12.9%, Malawi 3.3% (2004) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $21.23 billion (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20.1%
industry: 27.3% services: 52.7% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 21.1%
industry: 32.1% services: 46.9% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7% (2003 est.) | 8.2% (2004 est.) |
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); 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 | 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 (2001) | NA |
Imports - partners | South Africa 26.3%, Australia 9.2%, US 3.9% (2003) | South Africa 41.4%, Netherlands 11%, Portugal 3.3% (2004) |
Infant mortality rate | total: 137.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 142.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 131.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 130.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 135.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 125.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 14% (2003 est.) | 12.8% (2004 est.) |
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 |
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 |
Languages | Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, numerous other indigenous languages, Portuguese (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language) | 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: 37.1 years
male: 37.83 years female: 36.34 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 40.32 years
male: 39.9 years female: 40.75 years (2005 est.) |
Merchant marine | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
by type: cargo 3 foreign-owned: Belgium 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
by type: cargo 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2005) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Special Forces | Mozambique Armed Defense Forces: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Logistics Command |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $101.3 million (2003) | $117.3 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.2% (2003) | 2.2% (2004) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 4,335,294 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 2,485,197 (2004 est.) | - |
Natural hazards | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods occur in central and southern provinces | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or Frelimo [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, president]; Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or Renamo-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president] | 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] |
Population | 18,811,731
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 2004 est.) |
19,406,703
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 2005 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.22% (2004 est.) | 1.48% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane | Beira, Maputo, Nacala |
Railways | total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2003) |
total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% | Catholic 23.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, Muslim 17.8%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 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: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Total fertility rate | 4.78 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 4.7 children born/woman (2005 est.) |