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Geography of Mozambique

Location:Southeastern 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
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 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: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: 5.43%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 94.28% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,180 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
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

Mozambique Quickstats

  • Population: 20,905,585
  • Area: 801,590 sq km
  • Density: 25 /km² (178th)
  • GDP (total): $27.013 billion (100th)
  • GDP (per capita): $1,389 (158th)
  • Literacy: 47.8%

Languages of Mozambique

Useful to know

  • Currency: Mozambican metical (Mtn) (MZN)
  • Dial code: +258

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