Numerous rivers wind through Mozambique. The Zambezi is the site of one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Africa. Other major rivers are the Limpopo in the south, the Pungwe, Save, Revue, and Buzi in the central part, and the Ruvuma, which forms the northern border with Tanzania. Mozambique has a tropical climate.
The northwestern region of Mozambique has dense tropical vegetation, including ironwood, palm, and ebony trees. The drier lowlands support a thin savanna vegetation of grass and shrubs. Coconut palm and mangrove are common along the coast.
Mozambique's rich wildlife includes zebras, water buffalo, hippopotamuses, lions, elephants, crocodiles, and giraffes. Snakes such as pythons, puff adders, cobras, and vipers are found throughout the country. About 200 kinds of birds nest in Mozambique.
Almost the entire population of Mozambique is made up of black Africans. The official language is Portuguese, but most of the people speak African languages. The main group living north of the Zambezi River is the Makua-Lomwe. The Tsonga are the largest group south of the river. About half of the people follow traditional beliefs; the rest are Christian or Muslim. Nearly 40 percent of the population lives in cities. The largest city is Maputo, the capital, followed by Matola, Beira, and Nampula.
Mozambique enjoys great cultural diversity. The country has a rich musical tradition, with styles that vary among ethnic groups. The Chopi people, for example, are known for their orchestral music played on traditional wooden xylophones. The wood and ivory carvings of the Makonde people in the north are another important artistic tradition. Since the mid-20th century several Mozambican writers have become known internationally.
From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s the economy of Mozambique was devastated by civil war and mismanagement. After the fighting ended in 1992, the government introduced economic reforms. By the late 1990s the economy had significantly improved, though it remained heavily dependent on foreign aid.
Agriculture is the most common economic activity in Mozambique. Some 80 percent of the people are farmers, most of whom grow crops to feed themselves and their families. Corn (maize) and cassava are the main staple crops. Coconuts, cotton, sugarcane, and cashew nuts are important cash crops. The country's most valuable export is shrimp. Manufacturing industries produce processed foods and beverages, tobacco, textiles, chemicals, wood, and machinery and transport equipment. The mining industry has great potential for development.
Mozambique's early inhabitants were Bantu-speaking people who settled in the region in about the 3rd century AD. Arab traders established settlements beginning in the 8th century that developed into independent city-states. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visited the area in 1498 and claimed it for his country. Portuguese settlement of the region began early in the 16th century. From the 17th to the 19th century many Mozambicans were sold as slaves.
Mozambique became an overseas province of Portugal in 1951. In 1964 a rebel group known as the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) began to fight for independence. Portuguese troops were unable to halt the rebellion. In 1974 a cease-fire was declared, and the next year Mozambique became an independent republic. Frelimo became the ruling organization and the nation's only political party
Rebel forces opposed to Frelimo's socialist policies began fighting the government shortly after independence. More than 100,000 deaths were reported during the civil war. Millions of refugees fled to neighboring states. In an effort to end the conflict, the government agreed in 1990 to change the constitution and open the political process to competing parties. In 1992 a peace accord was signed, ending the civil war. Joaquim Chissano of Frelimo was elected president in the country's first multiparty elections, held in 1994. He was reelected in 1999. Population (2001 estimate), 19,371,000.
The nation of Mozambique on Africa's southeastern coast was ruled by Portugal for nearly five centuries. It became an independent republic in 1975. Devastated by years of civil war, Mozambique began to recover in the 1990s. The capital is Maputo.
Mozambique covers an area of 313,661 square miles (812,379 square kilometers). It is bordered by Tanzania on the north; Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe on the west; and South Africa and Swaziland on the southwest. The country is separated from the island republic of Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean.
The Zambezi River cuts Mozambique into northern and southern regions. The southern portion is made up mainly of lowlands, except for the Chimoio highlands. Mount Binga, Mozambique's highest peak at 7,992 feet (2,436 meters), is located there. In the north the lowlands give way to a plateau that eventually rises to form a mountainous region.
