Mozambique

Full name of country: Republic of Mozambique

Region: Africa

Official language: Portuguese

Population: 33,350,954 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Mozambican(s) (noun), Mozambican (adjective)

Land area: 786,380 sq km

Water area: 13,000 sq km

Capital: Maputo

National anthem: "Patria Amada" (Lovely Fatherland), by Salomao J. Manhica/Unknown

National holiday: Independence Day, June 25 (1975)

Population growth: 2.54% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +2

Flag: Mozambique’s flag features a triangle design, with a red triangle extending the length of the hoist (left) side. Three equal, horizontal bands of green (top), black (middle), and yellow (bottom), separated by white fimbriations (small stripes), represent the colors of the African National Congress. Centered in the red triangle is a five-pointed gold star, upon which is superimposed an open white book, and then a crossed gun and hoe, representing, respectively, study, defense, and production.

Independence: June 25, 1975 (from Portugal)

Government type: presidential republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law, and customary law; note - in rural, predominately Muslim villages with no formal legal system, Islamic law may be applied

Mozambique, formerly known as Portuguese East Africa, is a nation in southeast Africa. A colony of Portugal since 1497, it gained independence in 1975. Known for its art and seafood, Mozambique is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, South Africa and Swaziland to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the east. Its people are known as Mozambicans.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Approximately 99 percent of Mozambicans are Africans belonging to various ethnic groups, including the Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others. The largest ethnic group is the Makhuwa. The Makhuwa primarily inhabit the northern region of Mozambique. The second largest ethnic group is the Tsonga people, who live in the country’s southern region. Mozambique’s minorities, primarily Europeans, Euro-Africans, and Indians, account for fewer than 1 percent of the population (2017 estimates).

Most Mozambicans are farmers who live in the rural areas of the country. As of 2023, 38.8 percent of Mozambicans lived in urban areas. Urban centers are concentrated in the south and include Maputo, the capital, with 1.16 million residents in 2023.

Matola is Mozambique’s largest city, with 1.85 million residents in 2023. Another notable city is Nampula, known as an agricultural trade center.

Many southerners disparage the northern rural population. Some groups in the north refuse to modernize in favor of adhering to Swahili and Makonde heritage. These people resent the government, claiming it favors urbane, modernized Mozambicans.

Although Portuguese is the official language, most Mozambicans speak Bantu languages. The most prominent dialects are Emakhuwa, Xichangana, Elomwe, Cisena, and Echuwabo. Swahili is also spoken in some parts of the country, and English is used in business.

As of the 2017 census, 27.2 percent of the population was Roman Catholic, 18.9 percent Muslim, 15.6 percent Zionist Christian, 15.3 percent Evangelical or Pentecostal, and 1.7 percent Anglican.

Mozambique ranks among the worst in the world on the 2021 United Nations Human Development Index, which measures quality-of-life indicators. In 2021, the country ranked 183 out of 193 countries and territories.

Mozambique experienced civil war throughout the 1980s until 1992. Many of the country’s subsequent environmental, economic, and social problems stem from the civil war.

Indigenous People: Africans have inhabited the area occupied by Mozambique since 4000 BCE. Bantu-speaking Africans, including the Swahili and Makonde, came to Mozambique in the ninth century. There are over two hundred Bantu tribes in southern Africa. Most of these are autonomous chiefdoms comprised of farmers.

Much of Mozambique’s Indigenous population was victimized by the slave trade established by European colonists. Portugal, the Netherlands, and Great Britain participated in slave trading in Mozambique for centuries, relocating and killing many Indigenous Mozambicans.

Education: Mozambique has an inadequate educational system, and the government has been attempting to institute reforms. Problems include a lack of trained teachers and low school attendance. Mozambique’s total adult literacy rate was an estimated 63.4 percent in 2021, one of the lowest in the world. The nation’s oldest and largest university is the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo.

Health Care: The health care system in Mozambique is not equipped to meet the needs of the population. There are hospitals in Maputo, but most citizens do not receive adequate medical attention. Life expectancy is very low, estimated at 59.6 years for women and 57.1 years for men (2024 estimate). In 2024, the infant mortality rate stood at 58.2 deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Mozambique has one of the world’s highest percentages of people living with HIV or AIDS and HIV/AIDS deaths; about 11.5 percent of the adult population is living with HIV/AIDS (2020 estimate).

Mozambicans are at high risk for contracting numerous diseases, including bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, malaria, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dengue fever, schistosomiasis, and rabies. In addition, active landmines left over from the civil war posed serious safety threats; in 2015, the country announced that it was landmine-free.

Food: Mozambique is famous for its seafood. In particular, the country’s prawns (a crustacean similar to shrimp) are among the largest in the world. Many of Mozambique’s chief agricultural crops, such as cashews, cassava, and tropical fruits, are used in the local cuisine.

Spices such as hot peppers are used in the preparation of many meals. Some common Mozambican dishes are xima, which is made from cassava and corn; frango, or barbecued chicken; and matapa, a stew made with peanuts and spinach. Many Mozambican dishes are adapted from traditional Portuguese cuisine.

Arts & Entertainment: Mozambicans are known for their traditional African arts and crafts. The Makonde people produce carvings and sculptures that are regarded as some of the finest in Africa. Government-established cultural centers are used to promote Indigenous arts and crafts, while government-established radio programs are used to broadcast traditional music.

Instruments used in Mozambican music include the marimba, which resembles the xylophone, and the lupembe, a wind instrument. The marrabenta style, which employs a rhythm known as majika, is the most popular form of traditional Mozambican music.

Painting is one of Mozambique’s most prevalent modern art forms. The country’s most famous painter was Malangatana Valente Ngwenya (1936–2011). Maputo is known for its many large murals that illustrate the nation’s history.

Maputo’s culture of entertainment consists of salsa bars featuring Latin music and dance, a Museum of Natural History (Museu de Historía Natural), and Núcleo de Arte. At the Núcleo de Arte art gallery, artists give tools to farmers in exchange for guns and landmines left over from the civil war. The artists at Núcleo Arte use the donated weapons to create statues and art installations.

Several notable African authors are from Mozambique. Mia Couto (b. 1955), known for his collection of short stories entitled Voices Made Night (1986), is among the most popular. José Craveirinha (1922–2003) was Mozambique’s national poet. His poems include “A Spring of Bullets.”

Craveirinha is also credited with discovering the nation’s most famous athlete, Maria Mutola (b. 1972). Nicknamed the Maputo Express because of her speed, Mutola won Mozambique’s first gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney for her victory in the 800-meter race. Football (soccer) is the nation’s most popular sport.

Holidays: Mozambique’s national holiday is Independence Day, which is celebrated on June 25. Other public holidays include Heroes’ Day (February 3), Mozambican Women's Day (April 7), Worker's Day (May 1), Lusaka Agreement Day (September 7), Revolution Day (September 25), Peace and Reconciliation Day (October 4), and Maputo City Day (November 10). Christian and Muslim observances are the most common religious holidays in Mozambique.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Most of Mozambique is either grassland or tropical forest. The coastal region features many swamps and sand dunes, as well as many natural harbors. Plains along the coast become mountains along the western borders of the country. The highest point in Mozambique is Monte Binga, at 2,436 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level.

Roughly twenty-five rivers run through Mozambique, including the Zambezi, the Limpopo, and the Rovuma. The country’s longest river is the section of the Zambezi that runs through Mozambique for 820 kilometers (509 miles). The Cahora Bassa Dam on the Zambezi forms the Lago de Cahora Bassa, a lake measuring 270 kilometers (170 miles) across.

The Bazaruto Archipelago lies off the shore of Mozambique. The chain of small islands comprises one of the country’s national parks and contains much of the country’s marine wildlife.

Natural Resources: In addition to the numerous natural harbors that are considered some of the best in Africa, Mozambique has a number of important natural resources. These include coal, natural gas, titanium, graphite, and tantalum. The Cahora Bassa Dam provides hydroelectric power, much of which is exported to neighboring nations.

Plants & Animals: Animals native to Mozambique include elephants, buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, lions, zebras, monkeys, crocodiles, and tropical birds such as the parrot. Environmental factors such as flooding and droughts are significant threats to these species.

Civil warfare and poaching have destroyed much of Mozambique’s wildlife. Ivory poaching is an ongoing problem and endangers the country’s elephant population; poachers also target rhinos in Mozambique. During the civil war, soldiers often shot animals for target practice.

Trees such as mangroves, palm groves, and flame trees are common throughout the coastal region and in the nation’s swamps. Deforestation has destroyed the Zambezi delta region’s tropical rainforest, which once contained many species of valuable hardwoods.

Several national parks have been established in Mozambique. These include the Gorongosa, the Zinave, the Banhine, the Bazaruto, and the Chimanimani. Much of the wildlife in these parks was devastated by the civil war and poaching. The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park has successfully protected its marine wildlife. The Maputo Special Reserve is one of many parks dedicated to protecting the endangered African elephant.

The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, connected to South Africa’s and Zimbabwe’s national parks, has been designed as a “peace park” to protect habitats in the neighboring countries.

Climate: Mozambique has a tropical climate. The average January temperature is 26.5 degrees Celsius (79.7 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average July temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

The wet season is between November and March. Mozambique receives an annual average rainfall of 41 centimeters (16 inches) on the grasslands and up to 122 centimeters (48 inches) in the rainforest regions. The upper plains are victim to long droughts, while the coast is often devastated by floods.

In 2000, Cyclone Eline hit Mozambique. The rainfall from the storm exacerbated an ongoing flood, killing seven hundred people, displacing another half million Mozambicans, and destroying more than half a million acres of cropland. In 2001, coastal flooding occurred again, killing one hundred and displacing two hundred thousand. Such events continued to occur throughout the early twenty-first century.

Economy

After gaining independence, Mozambique was one of the poorest countries in the world. It has since transitioned from a Marxist economy to free enterprise. The nation remains dependent on foreign aid, although the economy is improving. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have helped Mozambique regulate foreign debt, spurring major developments and increasing the value of the metical. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 1993 was US$4 billion, which grew to an estimated US$50.844 billion by 2023. The per capita GDP was estimated at US$1,500 in 2023, among the lowest in the world, and the unemployment rate was estimated at 3.54 percent in 2023.

Industry: Aluminum, petroleum products, and chemical products make up some of Mozambique’s industrial activity. The Cahora Bassa Dam provides hydroelectric power, most of which is exported to South Africa and other neighboring nations. Manufactured and processed products include aluminum, fertilizer, soap, paints, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, and food and beverage products.

Mozambique’s main imports are machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal, foods, and textiles, while it exports coal, aluminum, gold, timber, electricity, cotton, and some agricultural produce. The country’s main trading partners include South Africa, China, India, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany.

Agriculture: Agriculture represented an estimated 25.9 percent of the country’s GDP in 2023, and most rural Mozambicans earn their livelihood on self-sufficient tribal farms. Chief agricultural products include cassava, bananas, cotton, corn, coconuts, sugarcane, rice, beef, and poultry. Among the country's top agricultural exports are cashews, prawns, sugar, cotton, and citrus.

Because the economy is heavily reliant on agricultural activity, economic success is dependent on the weather. The droughts and floods characteristic of Mozambique’s climate often cause recessions. For this reason, Mozambique’s government is working to diversify the economy in other sectors, particularly in tourism.

Tourism: While it does not generate enough revenue to be a substantial part of the economy, tourism in Mozambique has increased significantly since the civil war ended in 1992. According to the World Bank, about 2.03 million tourists visited the country in 2019, and, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism contributed 6.6 percent of the total GDP to the economy that same year. The Mozambican government has been expanding the tourism sector by building resorts and improving the country’s transportation infrastructure. However, the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 impacted the tourism industry in Mozambique, as in other parts of the world. The number of tourists visiting Mozambique began to improve by 2022.

One popular tourist destination is the Lago de Cahora Bassa, the large lake on the Zambezi River. Beach towns such as Tofo are popular for surfing, diving, and snorkeling. Many tourists are drawn to Mozambique by the opportunity to view African wildlife. In addition to its elephant population, the Maputo Special Reserve is known for its tropical birds.

Other popular tourist attractions are the museums and art galleries in Maputo, especially Núcleo de Arte.

Government

Mozambique is an independent democratic presidential republic. The president, elected by popular vote to a five-year term, is the chief of state. A prime minister, appointed by the president, serves as the head of government along with the president. The prime minister oversees the executive cabinet that is appointed by the president.

The legislative branch consists of a unicameral Assembleia da Republica (Assembly of the Republic), which has 250 members who are elected to serve five-year terms. The judicial branch’s highest courts are the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council. The constitution has been in effect since 2004 and was amended in 2007 and 2018.

Mozambique gained independence in 1975, after nearly five centuries of Portuguese rule and a thirteen-year resistance. In 1962, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) rebelled against the Portuguese with violence and eventually won. During the 1980s, the new government received aid from European communist nations. Anticommunist military groups joined with fundamental Christian groups to form the anticommunist Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), a group dedicated to crippling Mozambique’s communist government.

Using guerilla tactics, RENAMO eventually instigated a full-blown civil war with FRELIMO. When the Soviet Union disbanded, Mozambique’s government followed South Africa’s liberal reforms and drafted a peace accord between FRELIMO and RENAMO. The accord has been in effect since 1992, and both FRELIMO and RENAMO have become legitimate, nonviolent political parties, although armed forces loyal to RENAMO were actively engaged in low-level fighting from 2012 to 2014. A ceasefire was called in late 2016 and was, in practice, made permanent in 2019.

FRELIMO has won all successive elections, and Mozambique has undergone major social, political, and economic reforms during an extended period of peace. These include shifting to a free-market economy, improving foreign relations, and promoting gender equity in the government. However, in 2021 both the Southern African Development Community (an inter-governmental organization consisting of several African countries dedicated to economic and political security) and Rwanda deployed troops to northern Mozambique in order to quell the violent occupation of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces that began in 2017.

Interesting Facts

• In 1976, American singer Bob Dylan released “Mozambique,” a song about the nation’s radical social and political reforms.
• Maputo was once named Lourenço Marques, in honor of a Portuguese trader who came to the city in the sixteenth century.
• The Portuguese fortress of São João Baptista was built in the shape of a five-pointed star.
• The discovery of a previously unknown, primeval rainforest within Mozambique's Mount Lico, an extinct volcano, was announced in 2017.

Bibliography

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"International Tourism, Number of Arrivals." The World Bank, data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL. Accessed 1 July 2022.

"Mozambique." Human Development Reports 2022, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/MOZ. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

"Mozambique." The World Bank 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/mozambique. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025

"Mozambique." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mozambique/. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025

"Mozambique: Statistics." United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, data.unicef.org/country/moz. Accessed 1 July 2022.