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NAVIGATION
Republic of Mozambique
Republica de Mocambique
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
conventional short form: Mozambique local short form: Mocambique former: Portuguese East Africa local long form: Republica de Mocambique |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Maputo |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Maputo City*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia |
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Independence:
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25 June 1975 (from Portugal) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 25 June (1975) |
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Constitution:
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30 November 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 on 4 November 1986 (reelected by the Committee 30 July 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since 17 December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO reelected president; percent of vote - Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO 52.29%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 47.71% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 48.54%, Renamo-UE 38.81%; seats by party - Frelimo 133, Renamo-UE 117 note: Renamo-UE ran as a multiparty coalition; none of the other opposition parties received the 5% required to win parliamentary seats; in September 2000, Renamo-UE member Raul DOMINGOS was expelled from the party, he continues to hold his parliamentary seat as an independent |
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Judicial branch:
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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, customs courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courts
note: although the constitution provides for the creation of a separate Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or Frelimo [Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO, president]; Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or Renamo-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]; Human Rights and Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146 chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON
embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo telephone: [258] (1) 492797 FAX: [258] (1) 490448 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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 1988, the government embarked on a series of dramatic macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the economy and reduce government participation. These steps combined with the political stability that has prevailed since the 1994 multi-party elections have led to dramatic improvements in the country's growth rate fueled by foreign and domestic investments and donor assistance. Inflation was brought to single digits during the same period, although it has returned to double digits in 2000 and 2001. Foreign exchange rates have remained relatively stable. 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 workforce. A substantial trade imbalance persists, although it has diminished with the opening of the MOZAL aluminum smelter, the country's largest foreign investment project. Additional investment projects in titanium extraction/processing and garment manufacturing should 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $17.5 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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9.2% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 33%
industry: 25% services: 42% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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70% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 32% (1996-97) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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40 (1996-97 ) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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10% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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7.4 million (1997 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services 13% (1997 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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21% (1997 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $393.1 million
expenditures: $1.025 billion, including capital expenditures of $479.4 million (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.4% (2000) |
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Electricity - production:
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7.017 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 4%
hydro: 96% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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925.81 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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5.7 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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100 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry |
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Exports:
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$746 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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prawns 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity (2000) |
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Exports - partners:
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South Africa 12.7%, Zimbabwe 12.2%, Spain 10.6%, Portugal 10.0% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$1.254 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs, textiles (2000) |
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Imports - partners:
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South Africa 33.5%, Portugal 4.8%, US 4.2%, Australia 3.8% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$1 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$632.8 million (2001) |
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Currency:
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metical (MZM) |
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Currency code:
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MZM |
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Exchange rates:
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meticais per US dollar - 23,314.2 (January 2002), 20,703.6 (2001), 15,447.1 (2000), 13,028.6 (1999), 12,110.2 (1998), 11,772.6 (1997)
note: effective October 2000, the exchange rate is determined as the weighted average of buying and selling exchange rates of all transactions of commercial banks and stock exchanges with the public; meticais is the plural form of metical |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |