Mozambique

Location

• Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
• the Zambezi River flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Maputo	1,254,837	Capital
Matola	1,198,988
Nampula	770,379
Beira	687,764
Chimoio	422,046
Tete	357,000
Quelimane	349,842
Lichinga	281,341
Nacala	239,808
Pemba	232,932

Size

• 309,494 square miles
• 801,590 square kilometers
• slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California

History

In the first half of the second millennium A.D., northern Mozambican port towns were frequented by traders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and India. The Portuguese were able to wrest much of the coastal trade from Arab Muslims in the centuries after 1500, and they set up their own colonies. Portugal did not relinquish Mozambique until 1975. Large-scale emigration, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development until the mid-1990s. The ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) 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 between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office. His elected successor, Armando GUEBUZA, served two terms and then passed executive power to Filipe NYUSI in 2015. RENAMO’s residual armed forces intermittently engaged in a low-level insurgency after 2012, but a 2016 cease-fire eventually led to the two sides signing a comprehensive peace deal in 2019. Since 2017, violent extremists -- who an official ISIS media outlet recognized as ISIS's network in Mozambique for the first time in 2019 -- have been conducting attacks against civilians and security services in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. In 2021, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community deployed forces to support Mozambique’s efforts to counter the extremist group.

Climate

tropical to subtropical

Terrain

mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west

Languages

Makhuwa 26.1%, Portuguese (official) 16.6%, Tsonga 8.6%, Nyanja 8.1, Sena 7.1%, Lomwe 7.1%, Chuwabo 4.7%, Ndau 3.8%, Tswa 3.8%, other Mozambican languages 11.8%, other 0.5%, unspecified 1.8% (2017 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 27.2%, Muslim 18.9%, Zionist Christian 15.6%, Evangelical/Pentecostal 15.3%, Anglican 1.7%, other 4.8%, none 13.9%, unspecified 2.5% (2017 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1975, 1990; latest adopted 16 November 2004, effective 21 December 2004amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Republic membership; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including the independence and sovereignty of the state, the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, and universal suffrage, requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; referenda not required for passage of other amendments
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of Portuguese civil law and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Daniel Francisco CHAPO (since 15 January 2025)head of government: Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina LEVI (since 17 January 2025)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president elected directly by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 consecutive terms); election last held on 9 October 2024 (next to be held by October 2029); prime minister appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: 9 October 2024election results: 2024: Daniel CHAPO elected president in first round; percent of vote - Daniel CHAPO (FRELIMO) 65.2%, Venâncio MONDLANE (PODEMOS) 24.2%, Ossufo MOMADE (RENAMO) 6.6%
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic; vice president appointed by the president in consultation with the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) and ratified by the Assembly of the Republic; other judges elected by the Assembly; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Council judges appointed - 1 by the president, 5 by the Assembly, and 1 by the CSMJ; judges serve 5-year nonrenewable termssubordinate courts: Administrative Court (capital city only); provincial courts or Tribunais Judicias de Provincia; District Courts or Tribunais Judicias de Districto; customs courts; maritime courts; courts marshal; labor courts; community courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 250 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 10/9/2024parties elected and seats per party: Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) (171); Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS) (43); Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) (28); Other (8)percentage of women in chamber: 39.2%expected date of next election: October 2029

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• low-income East African economy; subsistence farming dominates labor force; return to growth led by agriculture and extractive industries; Islamist insurgency threatens natural gas projects in north; ongoing foreign debt restructuring and resolution under IMF Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative
• Budget: revenues: $6.243 billion (2024 est.)expenditures: $7.223 billion (2024 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
• Industries: aluminum, petroleum products, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, food, beverages
• Agricultural Products: cassava, maize, sugarcane, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, coconuts, onions (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 52.7% (2022 est.)arable land: 7.2% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 45.1% (2022 est.)forest: 46.1% (2022 est.)other: 1.2% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, chromium ore, iron alloys, iron ore, palm oil (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: South Africa 34%, China 14%, India 13%, UAE 6%, Singapore 3% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: coal, natural gas, aluminum, gold, precious stones (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: India 18%, China 13%, South Africa 9%, UAE 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports