Official name

República de Moçambique

Form of state

Unitary republic

Legal system

Based on Portuguese-Roman law and the 1990 constitution, updated in 2004

National legislature

250-member Assembleia da República (parliament) elected by direct, universal suffrage every five years

National elections

October 28th 2009 (legislative and presidential); next national, provincial and presidential elections are due in late 2014

Head of state

President, chosen by direct universal suffrage

National government

The president and his appointed prime minister and Council of Ministers; new cabinet appointed in January 2005; last reshuffle in October 2010

Main political parties

Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) is the ruling party and holds 191 parliamentary seats; the main opposition party is Resistência Nacional de Moçambique (Renamo; 51 seats); the Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (MDM; 8 seats) was formed in March 2009 with the mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, as its leader; it is drawing strong support from disaffected Renamo members and is bidding to replace Renamo as the main opposition party; another opposition party, Partido Humanitário de Moçambique (Pahumo), was launched by former Renamo members in April 2010

President: Armando Guebuza

Prime minister: Aires Bonifácio Ali

Ministers in the presidency

Parliamentary affairs: Adeleaide Amurane

Social affairs: Feliciano Gundana

Key ministers

Agriculture: José Pacheco

Defence: Filipe Nhussi

Education: Zeferino Martins

Energy: Salvador Namburete

Environmental co-ordination: Alcinda Abreu

Finance: Manuel Chang

Fisheries: Victor Manuel Borges

Foreign affairs & co-operation: Oldemiro Baloi

Health: Alexandre Manguele

Industry & trade: Armando Inroga

Interior: Alberto Mondlane

Justice: Maria Benvinda Levi

Labour: Helena Taipo

Mineral resources: Esperança Bias

Planning & development: Aiuba Cuereneia

Public works & housing: Cadmiel Muthemba

Science & technology: Venâncio Massingue

State administration: Lucas Chomera

Tourism: Fernando Sumbana

Transport & communications: Paulo Zucula

Women's affairs & social welfare: Iolanda Cintura

Central bank governor

Ernesto Gouveia Gove