Mozambique

The Republic of Mozambique, the 35th largest country in the world is situated in southeastern Africa, bordering 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. Maputo is the capital of the country. It is a member of Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the Commonwealth of Nations.

HISTORY:- The Bantu speaking people migrated in the nation, followed by the Arab and Swahili traders. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived in Mozambique in 1498 and in 1505 Mozambique was first colonized by the Portuguese. In 1963, guerrilla activities were started, led by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique which reached to its zenith in 1973. As a consequence, the Portuguese had to dispatch 40,000 troops to combat the rebels. The war was known as the Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974). In 1974, ending the 470 years Portuguese control, Mozambique declared independence in 1975. Samora Moises Machel, the leader of the National Front for the Liberation of Mozambique, became the President of Mozambique. In 1985, the Mozambique National Resistance, the antigovernment guerrillas literary shattered Mozambique. The then-president Joaquim Chissanó decided to abandon his idea to introduce socialism. The 16-year-long civil war was ended by signing a cease-fire agreement in 1992.

GEOGRAPHY:- Mozambique is located at 18 15 S, 35 00 E in Southeastern Africa. The country has occupied total 801,590 sq km area in the surface of the world in which 784,090 sq km in captured by land mass and remaining 17,500 sq km is covered by internal water sources. The coastline is 2,470 km long along with the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. The lowest point is Indian Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Monte Binga (2,436 m). Mozambique is mostly formed of lowlands in the coastal areas, uplands in the center, high plateaus like the Niassa highlands, Namuli highlands, Angonia highlands, Tete highlands and the Makonde plateau in the northwest, and mountains in the west. There are three major lakes in the country- Lake Niassa, Lake Chiuta and Lake Shirwa.

CLIMATE:- The climate of Mozambique varies from tropical to subtropical.

GOVERNMENT:- Mozambique is a republic. The constitution was adopted on 30th November 1990. The legal procedures are carried out according to the Portuguese civil law system and the customary law. The three major branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime minister (head of government), and cabinet. The president is elected by a popular vote on a 5-year term, and he appoints the prime minister.

Legislative branch comprises the unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court, the Administrative Court, the customs courts, the maritime courts, the courts marshal, and the labor courts.

 The major political parties of Mozambique are Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO); Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). Suffrage is universal at the age of 18.

President  Armando Guebuza

 Prime Minister Luísa Diogo

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Mozambique is divided into 10 provinces and a city (cidade). These provinces are further subdivided into 129 districts.

The provinces are:

Cabo Delgado

Gaza

Inhambane

Manica

Maputo

Nampula

Niassa

Sofala

Tete

Zambezia

ECONOMY:- At the time of independence, Mozambique was one of the poorest countries in the world. The promotion of a number of macroeconomic reforms by the government since 1987 led to the magical financial stability and development to the country. It is a member of African Development Community.

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $17.02 billion; per capita $800.

Real growth rate: 7%.

Inflation: 8%.

Unemployment: 21% (1997 est.).

Arable land: 5%.

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

Labor force: 9.6 million (2007 est.); agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services 13% (1997 est.).

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

Budget:  

Revenues: $2.325 billion

Expenditures: $2.773 billion (2007 est.)

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

Debt - external: $4.168 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Natural resources: Coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite.

Exports: $2.731 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity.

Imports: $3.028 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles.

Major trading partners: Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Portugal (2006).

Monetary unit: Metical

LANGUAGE:- Portuguese is the official language spoken by 8.8% of the total population and 27% uses Portuguese as a second language. Other languages are:

Emakhuwa 26.1%

Xichangana 11.3%

Elomwe 7.6%

Cisena 6.8%

Echuwabo 5.8%

Other Mozambican languages 32%

Other foreign languages 0.3%

Unspecified 1.3% (1997)

CITIES:- The capital of Mozambique Maputo is the largest city of the nation. Other principal cities of Mozambique are Beira, Nampula, Tete, Quelimane, Chimoio, Pemba, Inhambane, Xai-Xai and Lichinga.

POPULATION:- The estimated population of the country is 20,905,585 with a growth rate of 1.8%.

Density per sq mi: 69

Literacy rate: 48% (2003 est.)

RACE:-

African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others)

Europeans 0.06%

Euro-Africans 0.2%

Indians 0.08%

RELIGION:-

Catholic 23.8%

Muslim 17.8%

Zionist Christian 17.5%

Other 17.8%

None 23.1% (1997)

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 38.21 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 20.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 107.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 41.04 years

Total fertility rate: 5.24 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 110,000 (2003 est.)

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 47

UNICEF:- UNICEF provided training to over 500 health workers to combat malnutrition and distributed 65,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria and immunized over 8 million children against measles, and 4.3 million children against polio. More than 3.4 million under-5 children received vitamin A supplements. UNICEF built new water points. Children are being educated to prevent HIV and over 50000 pregnant women received HIV counseling. UNICEF ensures basic social services to more than 67,000 orphans. UNICEF also helps in birth registration.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: total: 3,123 km (2006).

Highways: total: 30,400 km; paved: 5,685 km; unpaved: 24,715 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2007).

Ports and harbors: Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane.

Airports: 147 (2007); paved runways: total: 22.