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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 29, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

700,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

70,000 (1998 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

44,000 (1992 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $402 million expenditures: $799 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

$5.7 billion (December 1997)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$1.115 billion (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Before the peace accord of October 1992, Mozambique's economy was devastated by a protracted civil war and socialist mismanagement. In 1994, it ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world. Since then, Mozambique has undertaken a series of economic reforms. Almost all aspects of the economy have been liberalized to some extent. More than 900 state enterprises have been privatized. Pending are tax and much needed commercial code reform, as well as greater private sector involvement in the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors. Since 1996, inflation has been low and foreign exchange rates stable. Albeit from a small base, Mozambique achieved one of the highest growth rates in the world in 1997-98. Still, the country depends on foreign assistance to balance the budget and to pay for a trade imbalance in which imports outnumber exports by three to one. The medium-term outlook for the country looks bright, as trade and transportation links to South Africa and the rest of the region are expected to improve and sizable foreign investments materialize. Among these investments are metal production (aluminum, steel), natural gas, power generation, agriculture (cotton, sugar), fishing, timber, and transportation services. Additional exports in these areas should bring in needed foreign exchange.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

1.11 billion kWh (1997)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

685.6 million kWh (1997)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

426 million kWh (1997)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

NA%

Exchange rates [time series]

meticais (Mt) per US$1--12,394.0 (January 1999), 11,874.6 (1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996), 9,024.3 (1995), 6,038.6 (1994)

Exports [time series]

$295 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

shrimp 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra, citrus (1997)

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Spain 17%, South Africa 16%, Portugal 12%, US 10%, Japan, Malawi, India, Zimbabwe (1996 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity--$16.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 35% industry: 13% services: 52% (1996 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity?$900 (1998 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]

11% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$965 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum (1997)

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

South Africa 55%, Zimbabwe 7%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Portugal 4%, US, Japan, India (1996 est.)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

39% (1997)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

-1.3% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

agriculture 80%, industry 9.5%, services 5.5%, wage earners working abroad 5% (1993 est)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]

slightly less than twice the size of California

Climate [time series]

tropical to subtropical

Coastline [time series]

2,470 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

18 15 S, 35 00 E

Irrigated land [time series]

1,180 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

coal, titanium, natural gas

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Maputo

Constitution [time series]

30 November 1990

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Bryan Dean CURRAN embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA chancery: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

Executive branch [time series]

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 October 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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), 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 [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch [time series]

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%, DU 5.15%, other 16.74%; seats by party--Frelimo 129, Renamo 112, DU 9

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Front for the Liberation of Alberto CHISSANO, chairman]; Mozambique National Resistance secretary]; note--the DU may have broken up into the three parties that composed it--Liberal and Democratic Party of Mozambique, National Democratic Party, and National Party of Mozambique

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$72 million (FY97)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures--percent of GDP) [time series]

4.7% (1997)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 4,385,483 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 2,526,447 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 45% (male 4,236,545; female 4,325,586) 15-64 years: 53% (male 4,941,048; female 5,181,282) 65 years and over: 2% (male 182,857; female 257,017) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

42.75 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

17.31 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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 [time series]

117.56 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 45.89 years male: 44.73 years female: 47.09 years (1999 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Mozambican(s) adjective: Mozambican

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

19,124,335 (July 1999 est.) note: the 1997 Mozambican census reported a population of 16,542,800; other estimates range as low as 16.9 million

Population growth rate [time series]

2.54% (1999 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.88 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

174 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

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: 4 under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 152 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 96 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 30,400 km paved: 5,685 km unpaved: 24,715 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 3 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT (1998 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 306 km; petroleum products 289 km note: not operating

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane

Railways [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

about 3,750 km of navigable routes