Mozambique

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia   Mozambique at a glance Did you know? The name Mozambique probably originated from an influential Arab trader named Sheik Mussal A'l Bik. Region Africa Population 21,669,278 (2009 estimate) Land Geography: Coastal lowlands, central uplands, high plateau in northwest, mountains in west Climate: Subtropical to tropical, with high humidity People Religion: Catholic 24%, Muslim, 18%, Zionist Christians, 17.5%, Other including Indigenous beliefs 18%, none 23% Language: Official: Portuguese; many indigenous languages including Bantu and Swahili Economy GDP per person (PPP): $900 (2008 est.) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 23%, Industry: 31%, Services: 46% Government Republic Land Geography Mozambique covers a total area of 799,400 square kilometres (about the same size as NSW at 800,642 square kilometres . Its long coastal strip has mangrove swamps and sandy plains which are as wide as 200 kilometres in the south. The central plateau covers about 45% of Mozambique and has savannah type vegetation. The mountainous area in the west is about 13% of the land and includes Mt. Binga (2436 metres) the highest peak. Two of Southern Africa's longest rivers, the Zambezi and the Limpopo, flow through Mozambique providing fertile floodplains. Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) forms part of the border with Malawi. Climate The climate ranges from tropical in the north to subtropical in the south. Temperatures away from the coast and in the higher regions are cooler than along the coast. Summer (December to March) is the rainy season. Rainfall ranges from 1420 mm in the north-west to 500-750 mm in the south-east. Environment Only 4% of the land area is arable and much of this is made unusable by landmines. There is 20% of the country forested including mangrove swamps. Chimanimani Mountains is of global significance for its plant biodiversity. Wildlife includes the blue Niassa wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, elephants, buffalo, frigate birds, falcons, crocodiles, sea turtles and antelopes. Ivory poaching is threatening the small population of elephants. People Over one third of the population of 21.6 million lives in the rapidly growing urban areas. The most densely settled areas are in the north. Maputo, the capital city, has over one million people. People Culture and ethnicity Ethnic tribal groups make up 99% of the Mozambican population. Makua in the north, Sena and Ndau in the Zambezi valley, and Tsonga and Shangaan in the south are the dominant groups. Distinct languages, dialects and cultures distinguish each group. There are small populations of Europeans, Euro-Africans and Indians. The sculpture of the Makonde people from the north is recognised as one of Africa's most sophisticated art forms. They are also noted for their wind instruments, known as lupembe. In the south the Chope musicians play the marimba, a form of xylophone found throughout Southern Africa, and are famous for their marimba orchestras. Modern music using traditional rhythms flourishes in the cities. There is a strong tradition of story telling throughout Mozambique. Health The existing health conditions in Mozambique are unstable. There are few medical facilities. Life expectancy at birth is just 41years. HIV/AIDS has reached an epidemic level with 12.5% of population (1.5 million) living with the virus. Infant mortality rate is very high with –over one in ten babies born dying before their first birthday. Only 43% of the population has access to safe drinking water and 32% access to improved sanitation. There are high rates of water related diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and cholera. Religion and beliefs The traditional animistic beliefs of the hunter gatherer tribes are still followed by about half the population. The Portuguese colonisers introduced Christianity and today about 24% of the population predominantly in the urban areas, are Catholic. The Arab traders introduced Islam to those in the north and 18% of the population is Muslim. Food and shelter Cornmeal, millet and rice are the staples accompanied by -spicy stews. Chopped peanuts, coconut, cucumber, bananas are served as side dishes. Houses are built with local materials of wood, mud and bricks. Economy Wealth and poverty Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world as a result of natural disasters, civil war and limited development. Most Mozambicans are subsistence farmers and 69% of people live below the poverty line.. There are big disparities in income distribution and consumption. The wealthiest 10% of the population has 39% of income and consumption while the poorest 10% share just 2%. Education and work About 77% of children enrol in primary school with two thirds reaching grade five. Fewer than one in ten children attend secondary school. Less than half the population can read and there are major disparities between the male (64%) and female (33%) literacy rates. There is a high unemployment rate of 21%. Industries and products The principal cash crops are cashews, sugarcane, cotton, copra, sunflowers, potatoes, coconuts, citrus and tropical fruits, beef, poultry and tea. The main industries are food processing, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminium and petroleum product production, and textiles, cement, glass, asbestos and tobacco manufacture. Electricity from Cabora Bassa hydroelectric project is exported to South Africa. Trade Mozambican economy is heavily dependent on foreign aid. The main export receiving countries, Italy (19%), Belgium (18%), Spain (12%), South Africa (12%), UK (7%), and China (4%) contribute US$2.7 billion to the economy from prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber, aluminium, and electricity. Imports of machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, metals, food and textiles from South Africa (37%), Australia (9%) and China (5%) cost US$ 3.3 billion. Achievements and challenges Mozambique is experiencing strong economic growth since the end of the civil war due to the government’s commitment to sound economic policy and post-conflict reconstruction. As a result, foreign investment in Mozambique has increased dramatically in recent years. However, recurrent droughts in the south, floods and coastal cyclones continue to threaten food production and deepen poverty. Links with Australia Australia exports animal oils and fat, electricity equipment, trailers and semi-trailers totalling A$440 million to Mozambique but imports very little. Mozambique is a long-standing recipient of Australian development assistance. Australia’s aid to Mozambique has included HIV/AIDS and health projects; support for water and sanitation through a partnership with the World Bank; support for HIV/AIDS orphans and malaria prevention in partnership with UNICEF; capacity-building in democracy and trade; and small community grants. Australia has also provided humanitarian aid to Mozambique and worked to reduce its vulnerability to natural disasters. In addition, Australia provides tertiary scholarships to Mozambique in priority areas such as education, environment and rural development. Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/index.html

Collecting water from the Zambezi River. AusAID