Mozambique: Background & Geography

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. Heavy flooding in both 1999 and 2000 severely hurt the economy. Political stability and sound economic policies have encouraged recent foreign investment.
Geography Mozambique
Location:
 South-eastern 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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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 agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate 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

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