What you need to know about Mozambique
Mozambique is an African state also called the Republic of Mozambique due to its status as a presidential republic under a dominant party regime.
The country has a territory of 801,590 km2 and a population of 27,233,789 inhabitants, making it the 50th most populous and the 36th largest country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Maputo and the official language of the country is Portuguese.
Mozambique is part of SADC, AfDB, CPLP, INBAR, CIR, G33. The telephone code for Mozambique is 258.
Colors of Mozambique
The Mozambican flag is a rectangular flag composed of 3 horizontal color bands. From top to bottom, we have: green, black, and yellow. The bands are separated by two white stripes.
On the hoist side is a red isosceles triangle with the country’s coat of arms featuring a yellow five-pointed star, a bayonet, an AK-47, and a book. The green color symbolizes nature and agriculture, the black color represents Black Africa, and the yellow color represents the country’s mineral wealth.
Where is Mozambique located on the world map?
On the world map, Mozambique is located on the African continent. It is situated in the eastern coastal section of the continent. Its neighbors are Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania. Madagascar is separated from Mozambique by the Mozambique Channel.
Population of Mozambique
Mozambique currently has 27,233,789 inhabitants with an annual growth rate of 2.46%. The fertility rate in Mozambique is 5.02 births per woman. The birth and death rates are respectively 37.8 ‰ and 11.4 ‰.
The life expectancy of a Mozambican at birth is 54.1 years and the average age in the country is 17.3 years, indicating a very young population. The male/female sex ratio is 96%. What are the colors of the country?
What are the best cities to visit in Mozambique?
Maputo: this capital is a city that encompasses all of its colonial past. Previously, it was the colonial capital of the country. Here, you will see several buildings with colonial style such as: the train station, the Casa do Ferro (copied from the Eiffel Tower), the wide boulevards lined with palm trees. So you have an African city with a European image. Also enjoy the magnificent restaurants and exciting bazaars.
Pemba: it is a coastal port city of the country with a Portuguese-style waterfront. It is also rich in colonial architecture and industrial zones.
You will enjoy beautiful white sandy beaches that adorn the city’s shores with palm trees swaying in the wind. There is also Pemba Bay, which is a favorite spot for scuba divers. You can also visit the fishing villages on Ibo Island or see the Quirimbas National Park.
Climate map of Mozambique
The Mozambican climate is heavily dependent on its geographical position within the southern section of the globe. It is a typical tropical climate. It therefore features a dry period occurring between April and October, interrupted by a short rainy season in July.
During this period, temperatures fluctuate around 16 to 20°C. There is also a rainy season that starts in November and ends in March.
During this period, temperatures range between 25 and 31°C with slight temperature increases moving northward. The northern section receives about 870 mm of precipitation annually, while the central section receives between 1400 and 1600 mm of precipitation per year.
Mozambique Economic Data
Despite its notable economic growth since the end of the civil war in 1977, Mozambique’s economy remains one of the least performing in the world.
The IMF and the World Bank thus classify the country among the poorest in the world. This economy is mainly agricultural with a primary sector dominating 21% of the Gross Domestic Product.
This agriculture also represents 80% of exported products. Here are some economic data concerning Mozambique:
- Currency: New Metical
- GDP nominal parity: 14.76 billion USD
- GDP purchasing power parity: 18.95 billion USD
- Annual GDP growth rate: 7%
- GDP per capita purchasing power parity: 496 USD
- Inflation rate: 8
- Poor population: 54.7%
- HDI: 0.327
- Unemployed: 21% of active population
- Active population: 10.04 million
- Imports: 578 million USD
- Exports: 193 million USD
- Public debt: 3.7% of Gross Domestic Product
- Public revenues: 2.786 billion USD
Administrative and Demolinguistic Data
Administrative Subdivisions
The Mozambican territory is divided into 10 administrative provinces plus the capital city which has the status of a province. In turn, the provinces are divided into districts (129) and then into administrative posts (405).
Here are the 10 provinces and the autonomous city:
- Zambezia
- Tete
- Sofala
- Niassa
- Nampula
- Maputo (Autonomous city)
- Maputo
- Manica
- Inhambane
- Gaza
- Cabo Delgado
Demolinguistic Data
Here are the ethnic groups composing the Mozambican population:
- Makua
- Lomwe
- Others
- Tsonga
- Sena
Apart from the official language which is Portuguese, the ethnic groups in Mozambique speak several dialects including:
- Echuwabo (5.8%)
- Elomwe (8.8%)
- Sena of Mozambique (6.8%)
- Xichangana (11.3%)
- Emakhuwa (26.1%)
- Others (33.6%)
The religions in Mozambique are
Roman Catholic (28.4%), Protestant (27.7%), Muslim (17.9%), Others (7.2%), No religion (18.7%)
