<style type="text/css"> .no-show { display: none; } .disable-fade-in{ opacity: 1 !important; transform: none !important; visibility: visible !important; } </style>

Photos of Mozambique

The location, widespread nature, and number of fires (outlined in red) in this satellite image suggest that these blazes were deliberately set to manage land. Farmers often use fire to return nutrients to the soil and to clear the ground of unwanted plants. While fire helps enhance crops and grasses for pasture, the fires also produce smoke that degrades air quality. In Mozambique and Madagascar, the growing season runs from the first rains in October-November. Thus, the clearing of lands in this early September image heralds the new growing season. Much of the once-green isle of Madagascar has been deforested via a combination of slash and burn agriculture for rice cultivation and doro-tanetry, a less intensive burning used to augment grass growth for cattle grazing. The fires mostly burn in grass or cropland, which is tan in this image. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Introduction

World Factbook Glyph

Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Geography

Area

comparison ranking: total 36

Area - comparative

Area comparison map.:
Area comparison map.

People and Society

Age structure

2023 population pyramid:
2023 population pyramid

Median age

comparison ranking: total 222

Population growth rate

comparison ranking: 17

Birth rate

comparison ranking: 9

Death rate

comparison ranking: 40

Net migration rate

comparison ranking: 158

Maternal mortality ratio

comparison ranking: 58

Infant mortality rate

comparison ranking: total 9

Total fertility rate

comparison ranking: 12

Tobacco use

comparison ranking: total 109

Education expenditures

comparison ranking: 35

Environment

Revenue from forest resources

comparison ranking: 9

Revenue from coal

comparison ranking: 2

Government

Economy

Real GDP growth rate

comparison ranking: 55

Real GDP per capita

comparison ranking: 218

Labor force

comparison ranking: 42

Unemployment rate

comparison ranking: 61

Public debt

comparison ranking: 41

Taxes and other revenues

comparison ranking: 59

Current account balance

comparison ranking: 165

Exports

comparison ranking: 117

Imports

comparison ranking: 116

Energy

Communications

Internet users

comparison ranking: total 87

Transportation

Airports

comparison ranking: 56

Railways

comparison ranking: total 40

Roadways

comparison ranking: total 100

Waterways

comparison ranking: 94

Merchant marine

comparison ranking: total 130

Military and Security

Military expenditures

comparison ranking: 94

Terrorism

Transnational Issues