ResourcesOverview
Mozambique has a long coastline facing the Mozambique Channel and Madagascar. In the north, heavily faulted Cretaceous to Tertiary sediments line the coast. South of Angoche the coastline is dominated by Quaternary to Recent sediments, largely sands interspersed with heavy alluvial deposits, particularly in the central region between Angoche and Bazaruto Island where some 24 rivers meet the coast, including the large delta areas of the Zambezi and Save Rivers. In many areas the sands form flat plains, although high dune systems are also common, particularly in the southern third of the country where they often lie in front of coastal barrier lakes and swamps. There are several offshore island groups, including a number of small coralline islands directly south of the border with Tanzania, the Quirimbass Archipelago, and two short island chains due south of Angoche – the Primeiro and Segundo Archipelagos. Larger islands include those of the Bazaruto Archipelago and Inhaca Island in the far south. The continental shelf is less than 20 kilometers wide in the north, broadening to a maximum of about 130 kilometers in the center of the country and then narrowing again in the south.
Mozambique has a large coastal population. The majority of these people moved to urban areas during the civil unrest which ended in 1992. These are a source of considerable pollutants to nearby coastal waters as most sewage is untreated. Away from these urban areas much of the coastline is dominated by slash-and-burn agriculture, which releases sediments and nutrients into nearby waters. Tourism is growing, particularly in the south, and is generally considered detrimental to the environment, especially vehicular or camping-based tourism from South Africa which brings few benefits to the country, and may lead to unsustainable levels of recreational fishing and damage to turtle nesting beaches. Efforts to develop coastal resorts have also been poorly controlled to date, although this may be changing. Most reef-based tourism operates around the Bazaruto Archipelago and there is evidence of significant damage to reefs caused by divers and boats.
Fishing is an important activity in Mozambique. Trawling for prawns dominates the commercial fishery and generates 40 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. This catch is highly dependent on the mangroves and estuaries which act as nursery areas. There is little agreement about the overall size of the artisanal catch, with estimates that these may make up anywhere between 20 and 70 percent of total landings (estimates of total landings similarly vary between 18 500 and 90 000 tons per year). Fishing is considerable on the Quirimbass reefs and seagrass systems, and there are now migrant fishermen coming to the region, bringing the potential for overfishing. Exploitation of the Primeiro and Segundo Archipelagos is relatively low due to the lack of permanent human settlement and often rough seas. Removal of molluscs for the curio trade is reported to be of significance
on a number of reefs.
Mozambique still has many reefs which have escaped heavy human impact, however this is changing, and quite rapidly in some areas. There are only two protected areas which incorporate reefs and, while there are active management measures in place at these sites, there are no immediate proposals for any protected areas on the important reefs in the north of the country.
Geography
Area: 799,380 sq. km.; about twice the size of California.
Major cities: Capital--Maputo (pop. 1,100,000 est.) Beira, Matola, Nampula, Quelimane, Tete, Nacala.
Terrain: Varies from lowlands to high plateau.
Climate: Tropical to subtropical. PROFILE
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mozambican(s).
Population (1997 projection for 2001): 17.7 million.
Annual population growth rate (1997): 2.9%.
Annual economic growth rate (GDP) (2000): 2.1%; approximately 8% average for 1996-2000 timeframe, with an estimated growth of 14.9% for the first half of 2001.
Ethnic groups: Makua, Tsonga, Makonde, Shangaan, Shona, Sena, Ndau, and other indigenous groups, and approximately 10,000 Europeans, 35,000 Euro-Africans, and 15,000 South Asians.
Religions: Christian 30%, Muslim 17%, indigenous African and other beliefs 45%.
Languages: Portuguese (official), various indigenous languages. Education: Mean years of schooling (adults over 25): men 2.1, women 1.2. Primary school attendance (1999)--32.6%. Adult literacy (1999)--39.5%.
Health (2000): Infant mortality rate--134/1,000. Life expectancy (1999): 43.5 years.
Work force: (10.7 million est. 1998): Agriculture--88%; industry and commerce--8.5%; public sector--3%.
Economy
GDP (2000): $3.83 billion.
Per capita income (2000 est.): $222.
Natural resources: Coal, natural gas, titanium ore, tantalite, graphite, iron ore, semi-precious stones, arable land.
Agriculture (30% of GDP): Export products--Cashews, corn, cotton, sugar, sorghum, copra, tea, citrus fruit, bananas, tobacco. Domestically consumed food crops--corn, pigeon peas, cassava, rice.
Industry (35% of GDP): Types--aluminum, consumer goods, light machinery.
Trade: Imports (2000)--$1,217 million: equipment and machinery, combustible fuels, vehicles, spare parts, cereal grains, alumina. Major suppliers (in declining order)--South Africa, Portugal, Japan, United States, France, China, and India. Exports (2000)--$723 million: aluminum, shrimp, fish, cashews, cotton, fruit, sugar. Major markets (in declining order)--Zimbabwe, South Africa, Portugal, Spain, India, United States, and Japan.
Profile
Mozambique's major ethnic groups encompass numerous sub-groups with diverse languages, dialects, cultures, and histories. Many are linked to similar ethnic groups living in inland countries.
The north-central provinces of Zambezia and Nampula are the most populous, with about 45% of the population. The estimated 4 million Makua are the dominant group in the northern part of the country--the Sena and Ndau are prominent in the Zambezi valley, and the Tsonga and Shangaan dominate in southern Mozambique.
Despite the influence of Islamic coastal traders and European colonizers, the people of Mozambique have largely retained an indigenous culture based on smallscale agriculture. Mozambique's most highly developed art forms have been wood sculpture, for which the Makonde in northern Mozambique are particularly renowned, and dance. The middle and upper classes continue to be heavily influenced by the Portuguese colonial and linguistic heritage.
During the colonial era, Christian missionaries were active in Mozambique, and many foreign clergy remain in the country. According to the national census, about 20%-30% of the population is Christian, 15%-20% is Muslim, and the remainder adheres to traditional beliefs.
Under the colonial regime, educational opportunities for black Mozambicans were limited, and 93% of that population was illiterate. In fact, most of today's political leaders were educated in missionary schools. After independence, the government placed a high priority on expanding education, which reduced the illiteracy rate to about two-thirds as primary school enrollment increased. Unfortunately, in recent years school construction and teacher training enrollments have not kept up with population increases. With post-war enrollments reaching all-time highs, the quality of education has suffered.
History
Mozambique's first inhabitants were San hunter and gatherers, ancestors of the Khoisani peoples. Between the first and fourth centuries AD, waves of Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from the north through the Zambezi River valley and then gradually into the plateau and coastal areas. The Bantu were farmers and ironworkers.
When Portuguese explorers reached Mozambique in 1498, Arab trading settlements had existed along the coast and outlying islands for several centuries. From about 1500, Portuguese trading posts and forts became regular ports of call on the new route to the east. Later, traders and prospectors penetrated the interior regions seeking gold and slaves. Although Portuguese influence gradually expanded, its power was limited and exercised through individual settlers who were granted extensive autonomy. As a result, investment lagged while Lisbon devoted itself to the more lucrative trade with India and the Far East and to the colonization of Brazil.
By the early 20th century the Portuguese had shifted the administration of much of the country to large private companies, controlled and financed mostly by the British, which established railroad lines to neighboring countries and supplied cheap--often forced-- African labor to the mines and plantations of the nearby British colonies and South Africa. Because policies were designed to benefit white settlers and the Portuguese homeland, little attention was paid to Mozambique's national integration, its economic infrastructure, or the skills of its population.
After World War II, while many European nations were granting independence to their colonies, Portugal clung to the concept that Mozambique and other Portuguese possessions were overseas provinces of the mother country, and emigration to the colonies soared. Mozambique's Portuguese population at the time of independence was about 250,000. The drive for Mozambican independence developed apace, and in 1962 several anti-colonial political groups formed the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), which initiated an armed campaign against Portuguese colonial rule in September 1964. After 10 years of sporadic warfare and major political changes in Portugal, Mozambique became independent on June 25, 1975. FRELIMO quickly established a one-party Marxist state and outlawed rival political activity.
Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center,
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