Country name conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique
local short form: Mocambique
former: Portuguese East Africa
local long form: Republica de Mocambique 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. Heavy flooding in both 1999 and 2000 severely hurt the economy. Political stability and sound economic policies have encouraged recent foreign investment.Location South-eastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania Area total: 801,590 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of California Coastline 2,470 km 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 hazards severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods occur in central and southern provinces 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 Geography - note the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country Population 17,479,266
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 2003 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 42.1% (male 3,634,173; female 3,725,396)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 4,712,891; female 4,945,123)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 189,778; female 271,905) (2003 est.) Median age total: 19 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 19.3 years (2002) Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 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 Internet country code .mz Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8%
male: 63.5%
female: 32.7% (2003 est.) Government type republic National holiday Independence Day, 25 June (1975) Legal system based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 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 brought to single digits during the late 1990s although it returned to double digits in 2000-02. 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 workforce. 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. Additional investment projects in titanium extraction and processing and garment manufacturing should 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. Exports - partners Belgium 24.3%, South Africa 9.1%, Germany 6.2% (2002) Currency metical (MZM) Currency code MZM Exchange rates meticais per US dollar - 23,678 (2002), 20,703.6 (2001), 15,447.1 (2000), 13,028.6 (1999), 12,110.2 (1998)
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 Airports 165 (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 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways total: 143
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 91 (2002) Disputes - international none |
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