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 Mozambique Location:
Physical. Mozambique is in Southeastern Africa, between South Africa and Tanzania. Slightly less than twice the size of California, the climate is tropical to subtropical. The terrain is mostly coastal lowlands, with uplands in the center, high plateaus in the northwest, and mountains in west. Natural resources include coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum and graphite. Drought and prolonged civil war moved much of the population to urban and coastal areas, which has had negative environmental consequences (desertification, pollution of surface and coastal waters). In addition, elephant poaching for ivory is a problem.
Mozambique Geography:
Geography
Area: 801,590 sq km
Capital: Maputo (967,000 - 1997)
Environmental concerns: an increased population migration to urban and coastal areas has negatively affected the environment; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory are other problems
Geographical features: mostly coastal lowlands with uplands in the center, high plateaus in the northwest, and mountains in west
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Mozambique People:
People. Well over 19 million people live in Mozambique. While Portuguese is the official language and spoken as a second language by 27% of the population, tribal languages include: Emakhuwa (26%), Xichangana (11%), Elomwe (8%), Cisena (7%), Echuwabo (6%), other Mozambican languages 32%. Ethnically, the country is mostly indigenous tribal groups (99.66%) which are Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena and others).
19,686,500 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.); indigenous tribal groups (99.66% - Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena and others), Europeans (0.06%), Euro-Africans (0.2%) and Indians (0.08%)
Annual growth rate: 1.38% (2006 est.)
Major languages are Emakhuwa (26%), Xichangana (11%), Portuguese (9%) (official and spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe (8%), Cisena (7%), Echuwabo (6%), other Mozambican languages (32%), (1997 census)
Religions: Catholic (23.8%), Muslim (17.8%), Zionist Christian (17.5%), other (17.8%) none (23.1%) (1997 census)
Mozambique Government:
Government. The formal name for the country is the Republic of Mozambique and its 500 years of Portuguese rule came to an end in 1975. Civil war lasted from 1977 to 1992 when the UN negotiated peace between the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO). The ruling FRELIMO party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989. Multiparty elections and a free market economy were part of the new constitution in 1990. Recently (2004) the president of 18 years peacefully stepped aside for his newly elected opponent.
Mozambique is a republic.
The chief of state President Armando Guebuza (since 2 February 2005). The head of the government is Prime Minister Luisa Diogo (since 17 February 2004).
Universal suffrage 18 years of age
Mozambique Communication:
Communication and transportation
77,600 (2003) main telephone lines in use
138,000 (2005) Internet users
30,400 km of roadways
3,123 km railroads
158 (2005) airports
89,000 motor vehicles (2004)
Mozambique Economy:
Economy. Mozambique has been one of the world’s poorest countries since its independence, kept that way largely due to poor social policies and civil war. Although it has been working successfully since 1987 to reduce inflation and improve the economy, Mozambique is still dependent on foreign aid. However, it has reduced its debt load and gained control of a large hydroelectric dam. The majority of the population remains below the poverty line working in subsistence agriculture. The opening of the Mozal aluminum smelter has increased export earnings and may make a difference in the substantial trade imbalance. More power is needed for additional investment projects in titanium extraction and processing and garment manufacturing to help close the import/export gap.
For more information, you may write to the chancery at 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036; check the U.S. State Department or World Factbook country sites; or type in the country's name on the Internet using a broad-based World Wide Web search engine.
Currency: metical
Per capita GDP: $1,300 (2005 est.)
GDP: $26.03 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: 7% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 7.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: agriculture (81%), industry (6%) and services (13%) (1997 est.)
Mozambique More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mozambique
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/Mozambique.html  |
