Mozambique

Radio broadcast stations

AM 29, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

700,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

fair system of tropospheric scatter, open-wire lines, and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter international : satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Telephones

59,000 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

44,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, rice, tropical fruits; beef, poultry

Budget

revenues: $252 million expenditures : $607 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Currency

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Debt - external

$5.5 billion (1995)

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA

Economy - overview

One of Africa's poorest countries, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Agricultural output is at only 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20%-40% of capacity. Foreign assistance programs supply the foreign exchange required to pay for imports of goods and services. The peace accord, signed in October 1992, has improved Mozambique's prospects. The restoration of electrical transmission lines to South Africa and the completion of a new transmission line to Zimbabwe (permitting the giant Cahora Bassa hydropower plant to export large amounts of electricity), proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline to South Africa, and reform of transportation services will greatly improve foreign exchange receipts. The Mozambique and South African governments are developing the Maputo corridor, linking the port of Maputo with Witbank, South Africa. In the past few years, more than 500 state enterprises have been privatized, including the country's largest commercial bank and a number of sizable manufacturing firms. Other pending reform measures are the privatization of customs operations, the reform of tax collection, and the facilitation of private enterprise in the transportation, energy, and telecommunications sectors.

Electricity - capacity

2.36 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

45 kWh (1993)

Electricity - production

490 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 11,455.0 (December 1996), 11,293.8 (1996), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994), 3,874.2 (1993), 2,516.5 (1992)

Exports

total value : $169 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus partners: Spain, South Africa, US, Portugal, Japan

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 33% industry: 12% services : 55% (1994 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $670 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value: $784 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities : food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum partners: South Africa 44%, UK, France, Japan, Portugal

Industrial production growth rate

5.8% (1993 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

22% (1996 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: 80% engaged in agriculture note: in 1993, 47% of the wage earners were employed in industry, 28% in transportation and communication; traditionally, a large number of Mozambicans work abroad

Unemployment rate

50% (1989 est.)

Area

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

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of California

Climate

tropical to subtropical

Coastline

2,470 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

18 15 S, 35 00 E

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 4% permanent crops : 0% permanent pastures: 56% forests and woodland: 18% other: 22% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone : 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

coal, titanium, natural gas

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Constitution

30 November 1990

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique conventional short form: Mozambique local long form : Republica Popular de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique

Data code

MZ

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter Michael McKINLEY embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo telephone : [258] (1) 492797

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA chancery: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146

Executive branch

chief of state: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986); note - before being popularly elected, CHISSANO was elected president by FRELIMO's Central Committee 4 November 1986 (reelected by the Committee 30 July 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since NA December 1994) cabinet : Cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 27 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO elected president; percent of vote - Joaquim CHISSANO 53.3%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 33.3%

FAX

[1] (202) 835-0245

FAX

[258] (1) 490114

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

Government type

republic

Independence

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president and judges elected by the Assembly

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 on a secret ballot to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 27-29 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 44.33%, RENAMO 33.78%, Democratic Union 5.15%, other 16.74%; seats by party - Frelimo 129, RENAMO 112, Democratic Union 9 note: the presidential and legislative elections took place as called for in the 1992 peace accords; RENAMO participated in the elections

National capital

Maputo

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Political parties and leaders

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique or FRELIMO [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, chairman]; Mozambique National Resistance or RENAMO [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president]; Democratic Union or DU [Antonio PALANGE, general secretary]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Militia

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$84 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3% (1994)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 4,149,766 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 2,390,791 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 4,021,791; female 4,136,853) 15-64 years: 53% (male 4,678,819; female 4,910,085) 65 years and over: 2% (male 173,177; female 244,751) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

44.33 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

18.31 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Infant mortality rate

122.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 44.85 years male: 43.71 years female: 46.02 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population : 40.1% male: 57.7% female: 23.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mozambican(s) adjective: Mozambican

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

18,165,476 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

2.6% (1997 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.11 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

Southern African transit hub for South American cocaine probably destined for the European and US markets; producer of hashish and methaqualone NAMIBIA

Airports

129 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 85 over 3,047 m : 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m : 10 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 65 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m : 12 914 to 1,523 m: 32 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 29,810 km paved: 5,545 km unpaved : 24,265 km (1995 est.) note: highway traffic impeded by land mines not removed at end of civil war

Merchant marine

total : 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,694 GRT/9,724 DWT (1996 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil (not operating) 306 km; petroleum products 289 km

Ports and harbors

Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba

Railways

total: 3,131 km narrow gauge: 2,988 km 1.067-m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (1994)

Waterways

about 3,750 km of navigable routes