Africa A to Z: Continental and Country Profiles: Third Edition

Mozambique

COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z 286 Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles | Africa Institute of South Africa Mozambique Orientation Mozambique is a long strip of land, stretching from the south (bordering South Africa) far to the north (bordering Tanzania). The country’s coastline extends over nearly 2 500 km. Most of the country is made up of coastal plains and low-lying lands with a total area of 799 380 km2 and an estimated population of about 18 million people, 1.5 million of whom dwell in the capital city of Maputo. The climate in Mozambique ranges from tropical to subtropical , the wettest month being January with an average rainfall in Maputo of 130 mm. The mighty Zambezi River flows through the north-central and the most fertile part of the country; only 4% of the Mozambique land is arable with most of the fertile land in the north of the country where rainfall is higher than in the south and more consistent. Mozambique has three distinct regions: the north, beyond the Zambezi River (the largest part), where Nampula is the main town; the central part, between the Zambezi and the Save rivers, centred on the port of Beira; and the south, below the Save River, which contains the largest urban area (Maputo). People The bulk of the population in Mozambique is made up of Bantu-speaking groups, including Swahili-speakers along the far northern part of the Indian Ocean coast. The largest ethnic groups are the closerelated Makua and the Lomwe, accounting for 40% of the total population and who dwell north of the lower Zambezi, in the Zambezia and Nampula provinces. Along the eastern shores of Lake Malawi are the Yao (Muslims), while the Makonde live on both sides of the Rovuma River, on the northern border with Tanzania. The Sena and kindred peoples inhabit the Zambezi valley, while the Tete Province (adjacent to Malawi) is predominantly Chewa. Central Mozambique, between the Zimbabwe border and the coast is predominantly Shona country. South of the Save River, as far as the Limpopo River, the land is inhabited by various Tsonga groups, including the Hlengwe and Tswa. Around the Limpopo are the Shangaan and Ronga, both of them Tsonga groups. In the far south are Swazi-speaking groups. Portuguese is the official language, but English is increasingly spoken in business and professional circles. About half the population adheres to indigenous religious beliefs and the rest are Christians (30%) or Muslims (20%). The Roman Catholic Church COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z Africa Institute of South Africa | Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles 287 has the largest following in the southern and central regions while Islam predominates in the north. Economy Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, employing up to 80% of the workforce, mainly in subsistence farming, and accounting for nearly 28% of the GDP in 2001. The principal cash crops are cashew nuts, sugar, sisal, cotton and oil seeds. State farms produce about 15% of the total output, while peasant farmers produce subsistence crops such as maize, cassava, millet, sorghum, groundnuts, beans and rice. It is important to note that agriculture has not reached its full potential. The fishing industry is the country’s largest primary resource sector, its products accounting for around 25% of merchandise exports in 1998; prawns (the main export) accounted for 90% of total fishery exports. Mining is not a major sector in Mozambique and only contributed 0.2% of the GDP in 1999, mineral exports totalled US$3.6 million in 2000, roughly 1% of the total exports, but the country has a rich variety of minerals awaiting exploitation. Significant minerals are tantalite and pegmatite. Tete province has the largest deposits of iron, bauxite ore and coal; hence small-scale mining takes place at Moatize near the town of Tete. Plans are also being made by the government to develop large natural gas fields at Pande and Temane (near Inhambane) and the Buzi Swamps near Beira. A gas pipeline to transport gas from the Pande fields to South Africa is being constructed. Manufacturing includes the processing of food and industrial crops, the production of fertilizers, agricultural equipment, cement and textiles. The largest manufacturer is the Mozal aluminium plant (near Maputo) that refines imported aluminium. This metal has recently become Mozambique’s major export. Tourism has been on the rise since the end of the civil war. The country’s main attraction is the pristine beaches, but there are several...