| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique conventional short form: Mozambique local long form: Republica de Mocambique local short form: Mocambique former: Portuguese East Africa, People's Republic of Mozambique etymology: named for the offshore island of Mozambique; the island was apparently named after Mussa al-BIK, an influential Arab slave trader who set himself up as sultan on the island in the 15th century |
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Maputo geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: reputedly named after the Maputo River, which drains into Maputo Bay south of the city |
| Administrative divisions | 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia |
| Independence | 25 June 1975 (from Portugal) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 25 June (1975) |
| Constitution | history: previous 1975, 1990; latest adopted 16 November 2004, effective 21 December 2004 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Republic membership; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including the independence and sovereignty of the state, the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, and universal suffrage, requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; referenda not required for passage of other amendments; amended 2007, 2018 |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law and customary law; note - in rural, apply where applicable predominantly Muslim villages with no formal legal system, Islamic law may be applied |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mozambique dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Filipe Jacinto NYUSI (since 15 January 2015, re-elected 15 Oct 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Filipe Jacinto NYUSI (since 15 January 2015); Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho DO ROSARIO (since 17 January 2015; reconfirmed DO ROSARIO 17 January 2020) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: president elected directly by absolute majority popular vote (in 2 rounds, if needed) for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 consecutive terms); election last held on 15 October 2019 (next to be held on 15 October 2024); prime minister appointed by the president (2019) election results: Filipe NYUSI elected president in first round; percent of vote - Filipe NYUSI (FRELIMO) 73.0%, Ossufo MOMADE (RENAMO) 21.9%, Daviz SIMANGO (MDM) 5.1% (2019) |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; 248 members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote and 2 single members representing Mozambicans abroad directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) (2019) elections: last held on 15 October 2019 (next to be held on 15 October 2024) (2019) election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 71%, RENAMO 23%, MDM 4%; seats by party - FRELIMO 184, RENAMO 60, MDM 6; composition - men 151, women 99, percent of women 39.6% (2019) |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges); note - the Higher Council of the Judiciary Magistracy is responsible for judiciary management and discipline judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic; vice president appointed by the president in consultation with the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) and ratified by the Assembly of the Republic; other judges elected by the Assembly; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Council judges appointed - 1 by the president, 5 by the Assembly, and 1 by the CSMJ; judges serve 5-year nonrenewable terms subordinate courts: Administrative Court (capital city only); provincial courts or Tribunais Judicias de Provincia; District Courts or Tribunais Judicias de Districto; customs courts; maritime courts; courts marshal; labor courts; community courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Movement of Mozambique (Movimento Democratico de Mocambique) or MDM [Daviz SIMANGO] Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Filipe NYUSI] Mozambican National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or RENAMO [Ossufo MOMADE] Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique or Podemos [Helder Mendonca] |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos DOS SANTOS (since 28 January 2016) chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7147 FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245 email address and website: washington.dc@embamoc.gov.mz https://usa.embamoc.gov.mz/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis Walter HEARNE (since 3 April 2019) embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193, Caixa Postal, 783, Maputo mailing address: 2330 Maputo Place, Washington DC 20521-2330 telephone: [258] (21) 49-27-97 FAX: [258] (21) 49-01-14 email address and website: consularmaputos@state.gov https://mz.usembassy.gov/ |
| 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; green represents the riches of the land, white peace, black the African continent, yellow the country's minerals, and red the struggle for independence; the rifle symbolizes defense and vigilance, the hoe refers to the country's agriculture, the open book stresses the importance of education, and the star represents Marxism and internationalism note: one of only two national flags featuring a firearm, the other is Guatemala |
| National anthem | name: "Patria Amada" (Lovely Fatherland) lyrics/music: Salomao J. MANHICA/unknown note: adopted 2002 |
| National symbol(s) | national colors: green, black, yellow, white, red |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
