chief of state: President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November
1986); note - before being popularly elected, CHISSANO was elected
president by Frelimo's Central Committee 4 November 1986 (reelected by
the Committee 30 July 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Pascoal MOCUMBI (since NA December
1994)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 3-4 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO reelected president;
percent of vote - Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO 52.29%, Afonso DHLAKAMA
47.71%
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia
da Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
on a secret ballot to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3-5 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - Frelimo 48.54%, Renamo-UE
38.81%; seats by party - Frelimo 133, Renamo-UE 117
note: Renamo-UE ran as a multiparty coalition; none of the other
opposition parties received the 5% required to win parliamentary seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president and
judges elected by the Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique
(Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or Frelimo [Joaquim Alberto
CHISSANO, chairman]; Mozambique National Resistance - Electoral Union
(Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana - Uniao Eleitoral) or Renamo-UE
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcos Geraldo NAMASHULUA
chancery: Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: (202) 293-7146
FAX: (202) 835-0245
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bryan Dean CURRAN
embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
telephone: (1) 492797
FAX: (1) 490114
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black,
and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the
black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow
five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black
superimposed on an open white book
@Mozambique:Economy
Economy - overview: Before the peace accord of October 1992,
Mozambique's economy was devastated by a protracted civil war and
socialist mismanagement. In 1994, it ranked as one of the poorest
countries in the world. Since then, Mozambique has undertaken a series
of economic reforms. Almost all aspects of the economy have been
liberalized to some extent. More than 900 state enterprises have been
privatized. Pending are tax and much needed commercial code reform, as
well as greater private sector involvement in the transportation,
telecommunications, and energy sectors. Since 1996, inflation has been
low and foreign exchange rates stable. Albeit from a small base,
Mozambique's economy grew at an annual 10% rate in 1997-99, one of the
highest growth rates in the world. Still, the country depends on
foreign assistance to balance the budget and to pay for a trade
imbalance in which imports outnumber exports by five to one or more.
The medium-term outlook for the country looks bright, as trade and
transportation links to South Africa and the rest of the region are
expected to improve and sizable foreign investments materialize. Among
these investments are metal production (aluminum, steel), natural gas,
power generation, agriculture (cotton, sugar), fishing, timber, and
transportation services. Additional exports in these areas should
bring in needed foreign exchange. In addition, Mozambique is on track
to receive a formal cancellation of a large portion of its external
debt through a World Bank initiative.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.7 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 10% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 34%
industry: 18%
services: 48% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1999 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 81%, industry 6%, services
13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $402 million
expenditures: $799 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints),
petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: 39% (1997)
Electricity - production: 1.2 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 25%
hydro: 75%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 1.018 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 483 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 385 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava
(tapioca), corn, rice, tropical fruits; beef, poultry
Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: prawns 40%, cashews, cotton, sugar, copra,
citrus, coconuts, timber (1997)
Exports - partners: Spain 17%, South Africa 16%, Portugal 12%, US 10%,
Japan, Malawi, India, Zimbabwe (1996 est.)
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum,
transport equipment (1997)
Imports - partners: South Africa 55%, Zimbabwe 7%, Saudi Arabia 5%,
Portugal 4%, US, Japan, India (1996 est.)
Debt - external: $4.8 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $1.115 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 13,392.0 (January 2000),
12,775.1 (1999), 11,874.6 (1998), 11.543.6 (1997), 11,293.8 (1996),
9,024.3 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Mozambique:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 60,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: fair system of tropospheric scatter, open-wire
lines, and microwave radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean
and 3 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 4, shortwave 17 (1998)
Radios: 730,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 90,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)
@Mozambique:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,131 km
narrow gauge: 2,988 km 1.067-m gauge; 143 km 0.762-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 30,400 km
paved: 5,685 km
unpaved: 24,715 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: about 3,750 km of navigable routes
Pipelines: crude oil 306 km; petroleum products 289 km
note: not operating
Ports and harbors: Beira, Inhambane, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba, Quelimane
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,125 GRT/7,024 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3 (1999 est.)
Airports: 170 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 148
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 92 (1999 est.)
@Mozambique:Military
Military branches: Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Militia
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,536,132 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,617,720 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $72 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.7% (FY97)
@Mozambique:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: Southern African transit hub for South American cocaine
probably destined for the European and US markets; producer of hashish
and methaqualone
______________________________________________________________________
NAMIBIA
@Namibia:Introduction
Background: South Africa occupied the German colony of Sud-West Afrika
during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World
War II when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of
independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not
until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in
accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Independence
came in 1990.
@Namibia:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 825,418 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 3,824 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855
km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,572 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin,
lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 31% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: prolonged periods of drought
Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water
resources; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Namibia:People
Population: 1,771,327
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population
and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age
and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 384,900; female 375,282)
15-64 years: 53% (male 468,942; female 475,504)
65 years and over: 4% (male 28,905; female 37,794) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.57% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 35.23 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 19.49 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 70.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 42.46 years
male: 44.33 years
female: 40.53 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.89 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian
Ethnic groups: black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to
the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%,
Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%
Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous
beliefs 10% to 20%
Languages: English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of
the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38%
male: 45%
female: 31% (1960 est.)
@Namibia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia
Data code: WA
Government type: republic
Capital: Windhoek
Administrative divisions: 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas,
Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana,
Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Samuel NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Samuel NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of
the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held NA
2004)
election results: Samuel NUJOMA elected president; percent of vote -
Samuel NUJOMA 77%
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the National
Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council
to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to
determine members of the National Council, held 30 November-1 December
1998 (next to be held by December 2004); National Assembly - last held
30 November-1 December 1999 (next to be held by December 2004)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - SWAPO 21, DTA 4, UDF 1; National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - SWAPO 77%, COD 10%, DTA 9%, UDF 3%, MAG 1%; seats
by party - SWAPO 55, COD 7, DTA 7, UDF 2, MAG 1,
note: the National Council is a purely advisory body
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben
ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire
KAURA, president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG ;
South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO ; United
Democratic Front or UDF
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM,
OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard Nangolo IIPUMBU
chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: (202) 986-0540
FAX: (202) 986-0443
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey A. BADER
embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Private Bag 12029
Ausspannplatz, Windhoek
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (61) 221601
FAX: (61) 229792
Flag description: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills
the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the
lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that
is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders
@Namibia:Economy
Economy - overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction
and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP.
Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa
and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Rich alluvial
diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality
diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin,
silver, and tungsten. Half of the population depends on agriculture
(largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. Namibia must
import some of its food. Although per capita GDP is four times the per
capita GDP of Africa's poorer countries, the majority of Namibia's
people live in pronounced poverty because of large-scale unemployment,
the great inequality of income distribution, and the large amount of
wealth going to foreigners. The Namibian economy has close links to
South Africa. GDP growth should improve in 2000-01, because of gains
in the diamond and fish sectors. Agreement has been reached on the
privatization of several more enterprises in coming years, which
should stimulate long-run foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 30%
services: 58% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1999)
Labor force: 500,000
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 47%, industry 25%, services
28% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% to 40%, including underemployment (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $883 million
expenditures: $950 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998)
Industries: meat packing, fish processing, dairy products; mining
(diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)
Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1994)
Electricity - production: 1.198 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 1.81 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 56 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 890 million kWh (1999)
note: imports electricity from South Africa
Agriculture - products: millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium;
cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Exports - partners: UK 43%, South Africa 26%, Spain 14%, France 8%,
Japan (1998 est.)
Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel,
machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners: South Africa 84%, Germany, US, Japan (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $159 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $127 million (1998)
Currency: 1 Namibian dollar (N$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Namibian dollars (N$) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January
2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996),
3.62709 (1995)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Namibia:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 100,848 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 20,000 (1998)
Telephone system:
domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by
open wire; 100% digital
international: fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio
relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries;
connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine
cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 34, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios: 232,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters)
(1997)
Televisions: 60,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (1999)
@Namibia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge; single track (1995)
Highways:
total: 63,258 km
paved: 5,250 km
unpaved: 58,008 km (1997 est.)
Ports and harbors: Luderitz, Walvis Bay
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 135 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 113
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 69
under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.)
@Namibia:Military
Military branches: National Defense Force (Army), Police
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 416,529 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 248,581 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $90 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% (FY97/98)
@Namibia:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: dispute with Botswana over uninhabited
Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River resolved by the ICJ
in favor of Botswana (13 December 1999); at least one other island in
Linyanti River is contested
______________________________________________________________________
NAURU
@Nauru:Introduction
Background: Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the
20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied
by Australian forces in World War I. Upon achieving independence in
1968, Nauru became the smallest independent republic in the world; it
joined the UN in 1999.
@Nauru:Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the
Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates: 0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources,
roof storage tanks collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a
single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during
the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand
consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and
threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock
islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in
Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator
@Nauru:People
Population: 11,845 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.99% (male 2,494; female 2,361)
15-64 years: 57.37% (male 3,383; female 3,413)
65 years and over: 1.64% (male 97; female 97) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.05% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 27.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.84 years
male: 57.35 years
female: 64.5 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan
Ethnic groups: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%,
European 8%
Religions: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)