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.

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 S, 35 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 801,590 km²
Land: 784,090 km²
Water: 17,500 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,571 km
Border countries: (6) Malawi 1,569 km; , South Africa 491 km; , Swaziland 105 km; , Tanzania 756 km; , Zambia 419 km; , Zimbabwe 1,231 km

Coastline: 2,470 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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
Extremes highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Natural resources: coal, titanium, natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 56%
Forests and woodland: 18%
Other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,180 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population: 18,165,476 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.6% (1997 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%

Languages: Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

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

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.)

Population growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 44.33 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 18.31 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

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.)

Infant mortality rate: 122.9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 44.85 years
Male: 43.71 years
Female: 46.02 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.11 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 40.1%
Male: 57.7%
Female: 23.3% (1995 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
Conventional short form: Mozambique
Local long form: Republica Popular de Mocambique
Local short form: Mocambique

Government type: republic

Capital: Maputo

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

Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Constitution: 30 November 1990

Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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%

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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president and judges elected by the Assembly

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA
In the us chancery: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 293-7,146
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter Michael McKINLEY
From the us embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
From the us telephone: [258] (1) 492,797
From the us FAX: [258] (1) 490,114

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

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.

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $670 (1995 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33%
Industry: 12%
Services: 55% (1994 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1993 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.)

Budget
Revenues: $252 million
Expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1992 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $169 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus
Partners: Spain, South Africa, US, Portugal, Japan

Imports
Total value: $784 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum
Partners: South Africa 44%, UK, France, Japan, Portugal

Debt external: $5.5 billion (1995)

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)

Electricity
Capacity: 2.36 million kW (1994)
Production: 490 million kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: 45 kWh (1993)

Telephones: 59,000 (1983 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)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $84 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 5.3% (1994)

Airports: 129 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 85
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 65 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 44
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 32 (1996 est.)

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

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

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