General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
784,090 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
4,571 km |
|
Coastline: |
2,470 km |
|
Capital: |
Maputo |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Beira, Sofala,
Nampula |
|
Official
Language: |
Portuguese |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Metical (MZM) |
|
National Day: |
June 25 |
Location and
Geography
Mozambique is
bordered by Tanzania
in the North,
Malawi; Zambia, and
Zimbabwe in the
West, the Republic
of South Africa and
the Kingdom of
Swaziland in the
South and the Indian
Ocean in the East.
It has a coastline
that stretches along
the Indian Ocean
from the mouth of
the Rovuma River in
the North to Ponto
de Ouro in the
South. The country
is made up mainly of
flat coastal low
lands. Africa’s
fourth longest
river, the Zambezi,
divides Mozambique
in half. Forests and
woodlands take up
about one fifth and
meadows and pastures
more than half of
the land. The
climate in the
plains and along the
coast is generally
warm and humid. The
mountainous areas
tend to be cooler
and drier.
Demography
|
Population:
|
19.00 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
40 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
21 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
128 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 40 years,
Female: 42 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
34.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
45.20 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Mozambique has an
agriculture-based
economy. Cotton,
cashew nuts, sugar
cane, tea, cassava,
corn, rice, and
timber are the
principal
agricultural
products. Mozambique
is one of the
world’s principal
cashew producers.
Fishing is an
important source of
income. Industrial
production is
confined to
processing
agricultural
products. Factories
for transistor
radios, railroad
wagons, truck
bodies, furniture,
plastic goods, metal
containers and shoes
are the other
important
manufacturing
activities. Gemstone
is one of the
country’s important
mineral commodities.
Columbo-tantalite,
copper, fluorite,
coal, asbestos,
gold, uranium,
beryl, manganese,
iron ore, bauxite,
microlite, and
bentonite are also
available. Natural
gas reserves have
been discovered and
are being exploited.
A major source of
income is generated
from the country’s
ports and railways.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
2578 million US$
(2002) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
136 US$ (2002) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
23.0%
Agriculture,
34.0% Industry,
43.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
682 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
1534 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Fish, cashew
nuts, sugar
cane, tea,
cassava, cotton,
citrus fruits
and petroleum |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Food, clothing,
farm equipment
and petroleum |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
Belgium, South
Africa,
Portugal,
Switzerland and
US
|
|
