Mozambique Geography Profile 2009

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: 799,380 sq km
land: 786,380 sq km
water: 13,000 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)

Total renewable water resources

216 cu km (1992)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.63 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%)
per capita: 32 cu m/yr (2000)

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