República de Moçambique

Political Status: Former Portuguese dependency; became independent as the People’s Republic of Mozambique on June 25, 1975; present name adopted in constitution that came into effect on November 30, 1990.

Area: 309,494 sq. mi. (801,590 sq. km.).

Population: 20,530,714(2007C); 20,861,000 (2008E). The 2007 figure is preliminary.

Major Urban Center (2005E): MAPUTO (1,122,000).

Official Language: Portuguese (a number of African languages are also spoken).

Monetary Unit: Metical (market rate December 1, 2009: 30.80 meticals = $1US). The “new metical” was introduced in 2006 at the rate of 1 new metical = 1,000 old meticals.

President: Armando Emilio GUEBUZA (Mozambique Liberation Front); elected on December 1–2, 2004, and inaugurated on February 2, 2005, to succeed Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (Mozambique Liberation Front).

Prime Minister: Luisa Dias DIOGO (Mozambique Liberation Front); appointed ...