World > Africa > Mozambique

Introduction:

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. Heavy flooding in both 1999 and 2000 severely hurt the economy. Political stability and sound economic policies have encouraged recent foreign investment.

Official name: Republic of Mozambique Capital: Maputo Government type: republic Population: 17,479,266 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 2003 est.) Languages: Portuguese (official), indigenous dialects Official Currency: metical (MZM) Currency code: MZM Area: total: 801,590 sq km water: 17,500 sq km land: 784,090 sq km Climate: tropical to subtropical

Map of Mozambique