Mozambique (2007) | Spratly Islands (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 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: 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.) |
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Agriculture - products | cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry | - |
Airports | 147 (2007) | 3 (2002) |
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 (2007) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
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) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km water: 17,500 sq km |
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of California | NA |
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. | The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about 450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts. (2002) |
Birth rate | 38.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $1.834 billion
expenditures: $1.98 billion (2006 est.) |
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Capital | name: Maputo
geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical to subtropical | tropical |
Coastline | 2,470 km | 926 km |
Constitution | 30 November 1990 | - |
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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
Death rate | 20.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $3.527 billion (2006 est.) | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James DUDLEY
embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo telephone: [258] (1) 492797 FAX: [258] (1) 490448 |
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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 |
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Disputes - international | none | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the island; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct" |
Economic aid - recipient | $1.286 billion (2005) | - |
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 2000-06. 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. | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. |
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: Monte Binga 2,436 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
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 | NA |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08% | - |
Exchange rates | meticais per US dollar - 25.4 (2006), 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004), 23,782 (2003), 23,678 (2002)
note: in 2006 Mozambique revalued its currency, with 1000 old meticais equal to 1 new meticais |
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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 (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% |
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Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity | - |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 59.7%, South Africa 15.2%, Zimbabwe 3.2% (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
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 | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 22.8%
industry: 29.5% services: 47.7% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 7.9% (2006 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 18 15 S, 35 00 E | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
Geography - note | the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 39.4% (2002) |
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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 bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles | - |
Imports - partners | South Africa 36.3%, Netherlands 15.6%, Portugal 3.3% (2006) | - |
Independence | 25 June 1975 (from Portugal) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.4% (2000) | - |
Industries | food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco | - |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 13.2% (2006 est.) | - |
International organization participation | 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, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | - |
Irrigated land | 1,180 sq km (2003) | 0 sq km (1998 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 a separate Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases |
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Labor force | 9.4 million (2006 est.) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 81%
industry: 6% services: 13% (1997 est.) |
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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 |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.43%
permanent crops: 0.29% other: 94.28% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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) | - |
Legal system | based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law | - |
Legislative branch | 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 40.9 years
male: 41.4 years female: 40.4 years (2007 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8% male: 63.5% female: 32.7% (2003 est.) |
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Location | Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines |
Map references | Africa | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
NA |
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) |
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Military - note | - | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam |
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 | Independence Day, 25 June (1975) | - |
Nationality | noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican |
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Natural hazards | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals |
Natural resources | coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Pipelines | gas 918 km; refined products 294 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | 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 | 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 | 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.) |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 70% (2001 est.) | - |
Population growth rate | 1.803% (2007 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | 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) |
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Religions | 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.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: fair system but not available generally (extremely low density with less than 1 main line per 100 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) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 67,000 (2006) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2.339 million (2006) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2000) | - |
Terrain | mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west | flat |
Total fertility rate | 5.29 children born/woman (2007 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 21% (1997 est.) | - |
Waterways | 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2007) | none |