Location Southern 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
water: 17,500 sq km
land: 784,090 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 4%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 1,070 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods occur 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
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

NOTE: The information regarding Mozambique on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Mozambique Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Mozambique Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.