odala, and Tete, but the program was underfunded and there were an estimated 500,000 people still in need of assistance. Much of the same region suffered a flood in 2000 which affected 300,000 people.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Thick forest covers the wet regions, where there are fertile soils, but the drier interior, which has sandy or rocky soils, supports only a thin savanna vegetation. Extensive stands of hardwood, such as ebony, flourish throughout the country. Mozambique has elephants, buffalo, wildebeests, zebras, palapalas, hippopotamuses, lions, crocodiles, nyalas, and other southern African game species. As of 2002, there were at least 179 species of mammals, 144 species of birds, and over 5,600 species of plants throughout the country. 99 cu km of renewable water resources. About 89% of the annual withdrawal is used in farming and 2% for industrial purposes. Only 76% of the nation's city dwellers and 24% of the rural population have access to improved water sources.
In 2003, about 8.4% of the total land area was protected, including the Marromeu Complex, a Ramsar wetland site. According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the number of threatened species included 12 types of mammals, 23 species of birds, 5 types of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians, 21 species of fish, 4 types of mollusks, 1 species of other invertebrates, and 46 species of plants. Endangered species in Mozambique include the green sea, hawksbill, olive ridley, and leatherback turtles.
POPULATION
The population of Mozambique in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 19,420,000, which placed it at number 54 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 3% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 44% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 94 males for every 100 females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–2010 was expected to be 2.2%, a rate the government viewed as too high as it struggled to reduce poverty. The projected population for the year 2025 was 27,556,000. The population density was 24 per sq km (63 per sq mi), with about 60% of the population living in the central and southern coastal provinces.
The UN estimated that 32% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005, and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 4.22%. The capital city, Maputo (formerly Lourenço Marques), had a population of 1,221,000 in that year, while Beira had an estimated population of 500,000; Nampula, 314,965; and Nacala, 182,500..
MIGRATION
Between April 1974 and the end of 1976, an estimated 235,000 of the 250,000 Portuguese in Mozambique fled the country. Famine and war produced another exodus in the 1980s, but this time of blacks. An October 1992 peace agreement left 4.5 million internally displaced and 1.5 million refugees abroad. Of the latter, at the end of 1992, some 1,058,500 were in Malawi; about 200,000 in South Africa, 136,600 in Zimbabwe, 75,200 in Tanzania, 48,100 in Swaziland, and 26,300 in Zambia. By May 1993 about 750,000 people in both categories had returned home. Mozambique traditionally supplies seasonal farm workers to South Africa farmers.
In October 1992, the 16-year civil war ended with a peace treaty. Between 1992 and 1996, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) completed the largest repatriation project it has ever conducted in Africa. Over 1.3 million refugees returned to Mozambique from Malawi; 241,000 returned from Zimbabwe; 23,000 returned from South Africa, and 32,000 returned from Tanzania.
In 2000 there were 366,000 migrants living in Mozambique, including a small number of refugees. In 2004, there were 623 refugees and 4,892 asylum seekers. In that same year 151 Mozambicans applied for asylum in South Africa. In 2005, the net migration rate was an estimated zero, a significant change from 10.7 per 1,000 in 1990. The government views the migration levels as satisfactory.
ETHNIC GROUPS
Nearly the total population (99.66%) is made up of indigenous tribal groups, including the Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, and Makua. Overall, there are 10 major ethnic clusters. The largest, residing north of the Zambezi, is the Makua-Lomwé group, representing about 37% of the total population. The Yao (Ajawa) live in Niassa Province. The Makonde live mainly along the Rovuma River. Other northern groups are the Nguni (who also live in the far south) and the Maravi. South of the Zambezi, the main group is the Tsonga (about 23%), who have figured prominently as Mozambican mine laborers in South Africa. The Chopi are coastal people of Inhambane Province. The Shona or Karanga (about 9%) dwell in the central region. Also living in Mozambique are EuroAfricans, accounting for about 0.2% of the population; Europeans, make up 0.06%; and Indians, constitute 0.08%.
LANGUAGES
Portuguese remains the official language. It is spoken as a first language by only about 8.8% of the population and as a second language by about 27%. Different African ethnic groups speak their respective languages and dialects. The most prominent of these are Emakhuwa, spoken by about 26.1% of the population; Xichangana, by 11.3% of the population; Elomwe, by 7.6%; Cisena, 6.8%; and Echuwabo, 5.8%.
RELIGIONS
Reports from the National Institute of Statistics state that half of the population does not claim adherence to any religion or creed. However, local scholars claim that most of the population follows traditional indigenous customs and beliefs either exclusively or in conjunction with other religious traditions. Veneration of ancestors plays an important role in traditional customs as do curandeiros, the traditional healers or spiritualists who are consulted for healing, luck, and solutions to problems.
Of the eight million or so who claim religious affiliation, about 24% are Roman Catholic, 22% are Protestant, and 20% are Muslim (though some Muslim leaders claim a much larger percentage of adherents). The strongest Muslim communities are located in the northern provinces and along the coastal strip. Central provinces are predominantly Catholic and the southern regions have the most Protestants. There are also small groups of Jews, Hindus, and Baha'is across the country.
There are over 500 distinct denominations registered with the Department of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Justice. Registration is required by law and an organization must have at least 500 members in good standing to be registered. However, unregistered groups have been allowed to worship without restrictions. The largest of the African Independent Churches in the country is the Zion Christian Church. Other Christian denominations include Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Congregational, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Nazarene, Jehovah's Witnesses and other Pentecostal, evangelical, and apostolic organizations. The evangelical Christians are reported as the fastest growing religious groups in the country. Among Muslims, only Sunni and Ismaili communities are registered.
The People's Republic of Mozambique is a secular state. The government guarantees every citizen full freedom of conscience and the right to practice a religion or not. Though church schools and hospitals were nationalized after independence, reports indicate that many of these institutions have been returned to their respective religious organizations. There is a council of bishops, including Catholic and Anglican members, that meets with the president on a fairly regular basis to talk about current issues. The Inter-Religious Forum is an interfaith organization that offers social and disaster relief; members include those from the Christian Council of Mozambique, the Greek Orthodox Church, Muslims, Jews, and Bahai's. No religious holidays are officially observed, though individuals are generally allowed days off for their own religious observances. in 1975, almost the entire railway system was owned by the state and passed into the hands of the newly independent government. The route system is 3,123 km (1,943 mi) long, all of it narrow gauge, with the single largest user being South Africa. There are six routes that an estimated 30,400 km (18,890 mi), of which 5,685 km (3,533 mi) are paved, but few roads are suitable for trucks and passenger cars. In 2003, there were 58,110 vehicles, including 29,530 passenger cars and 28,580 two cargo ships of 1,000 GRT or more, totaling 4,125 in 2005. As of 2004, Mozambique had 580 km (360 mi) of navigable waterways consisting of the Zambezi River to Tete and along Cahora Lake.
In 2004, there were an estimated 158 airports, 22 of which had paved runways as of 2005. Mozambique Air Lines (Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique—LAM), the state airline, operates both international and domestic services. In 2003, about 281,000 passengers were carried on