)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 196,042
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.03% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Malaysia

Disputes - international: Malaysia involved in a complex dispute over the
Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly
Brunei; Malaysia and Singapore are considering taking the dispute over
Pulau Batu Putih (Pedra Branca Island) to ICJ; Malaysia concerned over
Singapore's land reclamation works on Johor, which affect the maritime
boundary, shipping lanes, and water ecology in the Tebrau Reach; since
1998, ICJ has been considering Malaysia's longstanding Sipadan and Ligitan
islands dispute with Indonesia; ICJ rejected the Philippines' application
to intervene in this case in October 2001; Sultanate of Sulu granted
the Philippine Government power of attorney to pursue his sovereignty
claim over Malaysia's state of Sabah, over which the Philippines have
not fully revoked their claim; a one km stretch of Malaysia-Thailand
territory at the mouth of the Kolok river remains in dispute, despite
overall success in boundary redemarcation

Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking
prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

========================================================================

Mozambique

Introduction

Mozambique

Background: Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close
with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic
dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war
hindered the country's development. The ruling party formally abandoned
Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for
multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace
agreement with rebel forces ended the fighting in 1992.

Geography Mozambique

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