Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest.
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 1990s. 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. President Guebuza was reelected to a second term in October
2009. However, the elections were flawed by voter fraud, questionable
disqualification of candidates, and Frelimo use of government resources
during the campaign. As a result, Freedom House removed Mozambique from
its list of electoral democracies.
Country Name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
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conventional short form: Mozambique
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local long form: Republica de Mocambique
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local short form: Mocambique
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former: Portuguese East Africa
Capital:
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name: Maputo
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geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E
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time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence:
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25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Government Type:
Executive Branch:
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chief of state: President Filipe Nyusi (since 12 January 2015)
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head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário (since 12 January 2015)
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elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for three terms); election last held on 15 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative Branch:
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structure: unicameral Assembly of the Republic
Judicial Branch:
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structure: Supreme Court; Administrative Court; Constitutional Court
Population:
Nationality:
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noun: Mozambican(s)
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adjective: Mozambican
Major Cities:
Ethnic Groups:
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African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
Religions:
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Roman Catholic 28.4%, Muslim 17.9%, Zionist Christian 15.5%, Protestant
12.2% (includes Pentecostal 10.9% and Anglican 1.3%), other 6.7%, none
18.7%, unspecified 0.7%
Languages:
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Emakhuwa 25.3%, Portuguese (official) 10.7%, Xichangana 10.3%, Cisena 7.5%, Elomwe 7%, Echuwabo 5.1%, other Mozambican languages 30.1%, other 4%
Life Expectancy at Birth:
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total population: 52.6 years (global rank: 213)
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male: 51.85 years
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female: 53.37 years
Infant Mortality:
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total population: 72.42 deaths/1,000 live births (global rank: 13)
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male: 74.53 deaths/1,000 live births
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female: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS:
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adult prevalence rate: 11.1% (global rank: 8)
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people living with AIDS: 1,554,700 (global rank: 5)
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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total population: 56.1%
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male: 70.8%
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female: 42.8%
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. 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 remained dependent upon foreign assistance for 40% of its
2012 annual budget and over half the population remained below the
poverty line. Subsistence agriculture continues to employ the vast
majority of the country's work force and smallholder agricultural
productivity and productivity growth is weak. A substantial trade
imbalance persists although aluminum production from the Mozal smelter
has significantly boosted export earnings in recent years. In 2012, The
Mozambican government took over Portugal's last remaining share in the
Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity Company (HCB), a signficant contributor to
the Southern African Power Pool. The government has plans to expand the
Cahora Bassa Dam and build additional dams to increase its electricity
exports and fulfill the needs of its burgeoning domestic industries.
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 US government's Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) signed a $506.9 million Compact with Mozambique.
Compact projects will end in September 2013 and are focusing 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. Citizens rioted in September 2010, after fuel,
water, electricity, and bread price increases were announced. In an
attempt to lessen the negative impact on people, the government
implemented subsidies, decreased taxes and tariffs, and instituted other
fiscal measures. Mozambique grew at an average annual rate of 6%-8% in
the decade up to 2013, one of Africa's strongest performances.
Mozambique's ability to attract large investment projects in natural
resources is expected to fuel continued high growth in coming years.
Revenues from these vast resources, including natural gas, coal,
titanium and hydroelectric capacity, could overtake donor assistance
within five years.
Gross Domestic Product:
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GDP (PPP): $28.15 billion (global rank: 117)
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GDP per capita (PPP): $1,200 (global rank: 209)
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real growth rate: 7% (global rank: 19)
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composition by sector: agriculture: 28.7%, industry: 24.9%, services: 46.4%
Currency:
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currency: Mozambican Metical (MZM)
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exchange rate (per US Dollar): 30
Unemployment Rate
Agricultural Products:
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cotton,
cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (manioc, tapioca), corn, coconuts,
sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry
Industries:
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aluminum, petroleum products, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, food, beverages
Export Commodities:
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aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity
Import Commodities:
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machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles
Location:
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Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
Area:
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total: 799,380 sq km (global rank: 35)
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land: 786,380 sq km
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water: 13,000 sq km
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comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California
Climate:
Land Use:
- arable land: 6.51%
- permanent crops: 0.25%
- other: 93.24%
Natural Resources:
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coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
Current Environmental Issues:
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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
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international disputes: South
Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the
border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling,
poaching, and illegal migration
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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 make 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
Published: Wednesday, April 8, 2015