Mozambique definition

Mozambique





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2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Mozambique
       n : a republic on the eastern coast of Africa on the Mozambique
           Channel; became independent from Portugal in 1975 [syn: {Republic
           of Mozambique}, {Mocambique}]

From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:



  Mozambique
  
     Introduction Mozambique
     -----------------------
                              Background: Almost five centuries as a
                                          Portuguese colony came to a close
                                          with independence in 1975. Large-
                                          scale emigration by whites, economic
                                          dependence on South Africa, a severe
                                          drought, and a prolonged civil war
                                          hindered the country's development.
                                          The ruling 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 with
                                          rebel forces ended the fighting in
                                          1992.
    
     Geography Mozambique
     --------------------
                                Location: Southern Africa, bordering the
                                          Mozambique Channel, between South
                                          Africa and Tanzania
                  Geographic coordinates: 18 15 S, 35 00 E
                          Map references: Africa
                                    Area: total: 801,590 sq km
                                          water: 17,500 sq km
                                          land: 784,090 sq km
                      Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of
                                          California
                         Land boundaries: 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
                               Coastline: 2,470 km
                         Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
                                          territorial sea: 12 NM
                                 Climate: tropical to subtropical
                                 Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in
                                          center, high plateaus in northwest,
                                          mountains in west
                      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
                                          highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m
                       Natural resources: coal, titanium, natural gas,
                                          hydropower, tantalum, graphite
                                Land use: arable land: 3.98%
                                          permanent crops: 0.29%
                                          other: 95.73% (1998 est.)
                          Irrigated land: 1,070 sq km (1998 est.)
                         Natural hazards: severe droughts; devastating
                                          cyclones and floods occur in central
                                          and southern provinces
            Environment - current issues: 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
              Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                              agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
                                          Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
                                          the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
                                          signed, but not ratified: none of
                                          the selected agreements
                        Geography - note: the Zambezi flows through the north-
                                          central and most fertile part of the
                                          country
    
     People Mozambique
     -----------------
                              Population: 19,607,519
                                          note: 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; the 1997 Mozambican census
                                          reported a population of 16,099,246
                                          (July 2002 est.)
                           Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.5% (male 4,162,413;
                                          female 4,176,295)
                                          15-64 years: 54.7% (male 5,313,511;
                                          female 5,407,052)
                                          65 years and over: 2.8% (male
                                          227,761; female 320,487) (2002 est.)
                  Population growth rate: 1.13% (2002 est.)
                              Birth rate: 36.41 births/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                              Death rate: 25.13 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                      Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                               Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
                                          under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
                                          15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
                                          65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/
                                          female
                                          total population: 0.98 male(s)/
                                          female (2002 est.)
                   Infant mortality rate: 138.55 deaths/1,000 live births
                                          (2002 est.)
                Life expectancy at birth: total population: 35.46 years
                                          female: 34.65 years (2002 est.)
                                          male: 36.25 years
                    Total fertility rate: 4.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)
        HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 12.6 to 16.4%, estimates vary (2001)
       HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 1,546,643 (2001)
                                    AIDS:
                       HIV/AIDS - deaths: 114,111 (2001 est.)
                             Nationality: noun: Mozambican(s)
                                          adjective: Mozambican
                           Ethnic groups: indigenous tribal groups 99.66%
                                          (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena,
                                          Makua, and others), Europeans 0.06%,
                                          Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
                               Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian
                                          30%, Muslim 20%
                               Languages: Portuguese (official), indigenous
                                          dialects
                                Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
                                          and write
                                          total population: 42.3%
                                          male: 58.4%
                                          female: 27% (1998 est.)
    
     Government Mozambique
     ---------------------
                            Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
                                          Mozambique
                                          conventional short form: Mozambique
                                          local short form: Mocambique
                                          former: Portuguese East Africa
                                          local long form: Republica de
                                          Mocambique
                         Government type: republic
                                 Capital: Maputo
                Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular -
                                          provincia), 1 city*; Cabo Delgado,
                                          Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo,
                                          Maputo City*, Nampula, Niassa,
                                          Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
                            Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
                        National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
                            Constitution: 30 November 1990
                            Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system
                                          and customary law
                                Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
                        Executive branch: 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%
                      Legislative branch: 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
                         Judicial branch: 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
           Political parties and leaders: 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]
            Political pressure groups and Institute for Peace and Democracy
                                 leaders: (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]
               International organization ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
                           participation: 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
     Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Armando
                                          RANGUENE
                                          FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245
                                          telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
                                          chancery: Suite 570, 1990 M Street
                                          NW, Washington, DC 20036
       Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon
                                      US: P. WILKINSON
                                          embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193,
                                          Maputo
                                          mailing address: P. O. Box 783,
                                          Maputo
                                          telephone: [258] (1) 492797
                                          FAX: [258] (1) 490448
                        Flag description: 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 Mozambique
     ------------------
                      Economy - 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 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.
                                     GDP: purchasing power parity - $17.5
                                          billion (2001 est.)
                  GDP - real growth rate: 9.2% (2001 est.)
                        GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (2001
                                          est.)
             GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 33%
                                          industry: 25%
                                          services: 42% (2000 est.)
           Population below poverty line: 70% (2001 est.)
       Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.5%
                        percentage share: highest 10%: 31.7% (1996-97)
     Distribution of family income - Gini 39.6 (1996-97)
                                   index:
        Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (2001 est.)
                             Labor force: 7.4 million (1997 est.)
             Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 81%, industry 6%,
                                          services 13% (1997 est.)
                       Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)
                                  Budget: revenues: $393.1 million
                                          expenditures: $1.025 billion,
                                          including capital expenditures of
                                          $479.4 million (2001 est.)
                              Industries: food, beverages, chemicals
                                          (fertilizer, soap, paints),
                                          petroleum products, textiles,
                                          cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco
       Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2000)
                Electricity - production: 7.017 billion kWh (2000)
      Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 3.56%
                                          hydro: 96.44%
                                          other: 0% (2000)
                                          nuclear: 0%
               Electricity - consumption: 925.81 million kWh (2000)
                   Electricity - exports: 5.7 billion kWh (2000)
                   Electricity - imports: 100 million kWh (2000)
                  Agriculture - products: cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea,
                                          cassava (tapioca), corn, coconuts,
                                          sisal, citrus and tropical fruits,
                                          potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry
                                 Exports: $746 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                   Exports - commodities: prawns 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar,
                                          citrus, timber; bulk electricity
                                          (2000)
                      Exports - partners: South Africa 12.7%, Zimbabwe 12.2%,
                                          Spain 10.6%, Portugal 10.0% (2000)
                                 Imports: $1.254 billion (c.i.f., 2001 est.)
                   Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral
                                          products, chemicals, metals,
                                          foodstuffs, textiles (2000)
                      Imports - partners: South Africa 33.5%, Portugal 4.8%,
                                          US 4.2%, Australia 3.8% (2000)
                         Debt - external: $1 billion (2001 est.)
                Economic aid - recipient: $632.8 million (2001)
                                Currency: metical (MZM)
                           Currency code: MZM
                          Exchange rates: 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
                             Fiscal year: calendar year
    
     Communications Mozambique
     -------------------------
          Telephones - main lines in use: 90,000 (December 2001)
            Telephones - mobile cellular: 100,000 (June 2001)
                        Telephone system: general assessment: fair system but
                                          not available generally (telephone
                                          density is only 3.5 telephones for
                                          each 1,000 persons)
                                          domestic: the system consists of
                                          open-wire lines and trunk connection
                                          by microwave radio relay and
                                          tropospheric scatter
                                          international: satellite earth
                                          stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic
                                          Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
                Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)
                                  Radios: 730,000 (1997)
           Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
                             Televisions: 67,600 (2000)
                   Internet country code: .mz
       Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (2002)
                          Internet users: 22,500 (2000)
    
     Transportation Mozambique
     -------------------------
                                Railways: total: 3,131 km
                                          narrow gauge: 2,988 km 1.067-
                                          m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)
                                Highways: total: 30,400 km
                                          paved: 5,685 km
                                          unpaved: 24,715 km (1996)
                               Waterways: 3,750 km (navigable routes)
                               Pipelines: crude oil 306 km; petroleum products
                                          289 km
                                          note: not operating
                       Ports and harbors: Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala,
                                          Pemba, Quelimane
                         Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
                                          totaling 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
                                          ships by type: cargo 3
                                          note: includes some foreign-owned
                                          ships registered here as a flag of
                                          convenience: Belgium 2 (2002 est.)
                                Airports: 166 (2001)
           Airports - with paved runways: 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: 3
                                          under 914 m: 5 (2001)
         Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 144
                                          2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
                                          1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
                                          914 to 1,523 m: 37
                                          under 914 m: 90 (2001)
    
     Military Mozambique
     -------------------
                         Military branches: Army, Naval Command, Air and Air
                                            Defense Forces, Special Forces,
                                            Militia
          Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,711,318 (2002
                                            est.)
       Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,720,583 (2002
                                   service: est.)
             Military expenditures - dollar $35.1 million (2000 est.)
                                    figure:
         Military expenditures - percent of 1% (2000 est.)
                                       GDP:
    
     Transnational Issues Mozambique
     -------------------------------
                Disputes - international: none
                           Illicit drugs: Southern African transit point for
                                          South Asian hashish, South Asian
                                          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)
    
                                         
  
  

















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