Background: Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration economic dependence on South Africa a severe drought and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development until the mid 1990's. 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 elected successor Armando Emilio GUEBUZA promised to continue the sound economic policies that have encouraged foreign investment. Mozambique has seen very strong economic growth since the end of the civil war largely due to post-conflict reconstruction.

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 S 35 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 799,380 km²
Rank: 35
Land: 786,380 km²
Water: 13,000 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,571 km
Border countries: (6) Malawi 1569 km; South Africa 491 km; Swaziland 105 km; Tanzania 756 km; Zambia 419 km; Zimbabwe 1231 km

Coastline: 2,470 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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 hydropower tantalum graphite

Land use
Arable land: 5.43%
Permanent crops: 0.29%
Other: 94.28% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1180 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 216 km³ (1992)

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

Geography
Note: the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country

Population: 21,669,278
Rank: 52
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 higher death rates lower population 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 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 1.791% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 72
Below poverty line: 70% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mozambican
Adjective: Mozambican

Ethnic groups: African 99.66% (Makhuwa Tsonga Lomwe Sena and others) Europeans 0.06% Euro-Africans 0.2% Indians 0.08%

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)

Religions: Catholic 23.8% Muslim 17.8% Zionist Christian 17.5% other 17.8% none 23.1% (1997 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.3%
15-64 years: 52.8% (male 5,605,227/female 5,842,679)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 257,119/female 361,772) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 17.4 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.791% (2009 est.)
Rank: 72

Birth rate: 37.98 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Death rate: 20.07 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 7

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population: 37% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 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; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 105.8 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 7
Male: 108.57 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 103 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 41.18 years
Rank: 220
Male: 41.83 years
Female: 40.53 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.18 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 24

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 12.5% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 8
People living with hivaids: 1.5 million (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 5
Deaths: 81,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 8

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 75

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 47.8%
Male: 63.5%
Female: 32.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 7 years (2005)

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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Maputo
Geographic coordinates: 25 57 S 32 35 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias singular - provincia) 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado Gaza Inhambane Manica Maputo Cidade de 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA
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 28 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Armando GUEBUZA relected president; percent of vote - Armando GUEBUZA 76.3% Afonso DHLAKAMA 14.9% Daviz SIMANGO 8.8%

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 on 28 October 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62% RENAMO 29.7% other 8.3%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160 RENAMO 90

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 Constitutional Court customs courts maritime courts courts marshal labor courts

Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA]; Mozambique National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or RENAMO [Afonso DHLAKAMA]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
In the us chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue 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 ; Charge d'Affaires Todd C. CHAPMAN
From the us embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193 Maputo
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 783 Maputo
From the us telephone: [258] (21) 492,797
From the us fax: [258] (21) 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: 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 and although it returned to double digits in 2000-06 in 2007 inflation had slowed to 8% while GDP growth reached 7.5%. 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. At the end of 2007 and after years of negotiations the government took over 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. In July 2007 the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a Compact with Mozambique; the Compact entered into force in September 2008 and will continue for five years. Compact projects will focus on improving sanitation roads agriculture and the business regulation environment in an effort to spur economic growth in the four northern provinces of the country.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 124
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 42

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 215
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.5%
Industry: 30.9%
Services: 45.6% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton cashew nuts sugarcane tea cassava (tapioca) corn coconuts sisal citrus and tropical fruits potatoes sunflowers; beef poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2008 est.)
Rank: 17

Labor force: 9.65 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 50
By occupation agriculture: 81%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 13% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)
Rank: 169

Population below poverty line: 70% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.1%
Highest 10: 39.2% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 39.6 (1997)
Rank: 34

Budget
Revenues: $2.801 billion
Expenditures: $3.28 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt: 22.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Rank: 90

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.2% (2007 est.)
Rank: 150

Central bank discount rate: 9.95% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 43

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 19.52% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 17

Stock of domestic credit: $877.2 million (31 December 2007)
Rank: 103

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$785.3 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 116

Exports: $2.412 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 125
Commodities: aluminum prawns cashews cotton sugar citrus timber; bulk electricity
Partners: Netherlands 55.5% South Africa 9.2% Zimbabwe 2.1% (2008)

Imports: $2.811 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 133
Commodities: machinery and equipment vehicles fuel chemicals metal products foodstuffs textiles
Partners: South Africa 27.4% Netherlands 15.7% China 4.3% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.445 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 116

Debt external: $4.189 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 112

Exchange rates: meticais (MZM) per US dollar - 24.125 (2008 est.) 26.264 (2007) 25.4 (2006) 23,061 (2005) 22,581 (2004)
Note: in 2006 Mozambique revalued its currency with 1000 old meticais equal to 1 new meticais

Electricity
Production: 15.91 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 77
Consumption: 10.16 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 83
Exports: 11.82 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 8.278 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 3.3 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 52
Consumption: 100 million m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 101
Exports: 3.2 billion m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 30
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 152
Proven reserves: 127.4 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 50

Telephones
Main lines in use: 78,300 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 150
Mobile cellular: 4.405 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 92

Telephone system
General assessment: fair system with an extremely low density of less than 1 fixed line per 100 persons
Domestic: the telecommunications sector is shackled with a heavy state presence lack of competition and high operating costs and charges; stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now includes all the main cities and key roads including those from Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders the national highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces the Beira corridor and from Nampula to Nacala
International: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .mz
Hosts: 21,388 (2009)
Hosts rank: 103
Users: 350,000 (2008)
Users rank: 119

Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 149

Military service age and obligation: 19-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation (2009)

Airports: 105 (2009)
Rank: 55
With paved runways total: 23
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 82
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 33
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 39 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 918 km; refined products 278 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 4,787 km
Rank: 37
Narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 30,400 km
Rank: 96
Paved: 5,685 km
Unpaved: 24,715 km (2000)

Waterways: 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2008)
Rank: 85

Merchant marine
Total: 2
Rank: 147
By type: cargo 2
Foreign owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Beira Maputo Nacala

Disputes international: none

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