FAST FACTS ABOUT MOZAMBIQUE

Geographical Location

Mozambique stretches for 2,470 km along Africa's southeast coast. Tanzania is to the north; Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to the west; and South Africa and Swaziland to the south. The country is generally a low-lying plateau broken up by 25 sizable rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean. The largest is the Zambezi, which provides access to Central Africa.

Climate

The weather in Mozambique is tropical to subtropical.

April to September

Cool and dry, a little rain is received in these months (less than 50mm a month for Maputo) and daytime temperatures on the coast range around 25° - 30° C, while in the interior temperatures are generally cooler (around 5° C lower). You can expect around 8 hours of sunshine a day with around 60% - 70% humidity for Maputo.

Time

Mozambique is two hours ahead of GMT

International Telephone Codes

+258 + area code + number required

Business Hours

Banking : Monday to Friday 07:30 -11:15 and 15:00 - 16:30

Shops : Monday to Friday 09:00 -13:00 and 15:00 - 18:30

Saturday 09:00 -13:00

Government offices : Monday to Friday 09:00 -12:00 and 14:00 - 17:30

Currency

Official Currency:    Metical (MT)=100 centqavos

Major hotels accept credit card transactions.

Exchange Rate

As on Thursday, August 2, 2007:

1 US Dollar = 25.80000 Mozambique Metical

1 Mozambique Metical (MZN) = 0.03876 US Dollar (USD)

Voltage

Voltage is 220 volts, Ac (50HZ)

Travel Requirements

A valid passport is required to enter Mozambique. Visa to enter the country are issued either by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Mozambique or by Mozambican missions abroad.

Tourism Facilities

Maputo , the capital city of Mozambique, was formerly called Lourenco Marques.The capital city of Maputo and the second city of Beira have examples of Portuguese Colonial architecture. It is also interesting to note that Maputo has a railway station designed by France's Gustave Eiffel (1910).

Mozambique Island , a World Heritage site, is a fortified Portuguese trading post dating back to the sixteenth century. The small island, not far from Mozambique's mainland, has a variety of architecture including Christian churches and Islamic mosques.