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Government & History

1. Between the 1st and 4th century AD, Bantu speaking peoples migrated from the north through the Zambezi River Valley.
2. Portuguese explorers reach Mozambique in 1498.
   
3. 1500: Portuguese trading posts and forts were very common.
   
4. Early 20th century, Portugal shifted most power to private companies, controlled and financed mostly by the British. British established railroad lines to other countries and supplied cheap, mostly forced, African labor to mines and other British colonies.
5. 1962: anti-colonial political groups formed the Front For Liberation Of Mozambique (FRELIMO).
   
6. 1964: armed campaign against Portuguese rule was declared.
   
7. After 10 years of warfare and political changes in Portugal, Mozambique became independent on June 25, 1975. FRELIMO established a one-party state allied with the Soviet bloc and outlawed rival political activity.
   
8. First decade of Mozambican independence harbored civil war, sabotage from neighboring states, and economic collapse. Mass exodus of Portuguese defined this time period, and so did weak infrastructure, nationalism and economic mismanagement. During Civil War, an estimated  1 million Mozambicans died and 1.7 million took refuge in neighboring states.
   
9. FRELIMO’s third party congress in 1983, President Samora Machel pointed out the failure of socialism and the need for major reform. He later suspiciously died in a plane crash in 1986.
   
10. President Joaquim Chissano continued reforms and began peace talks with RENAMO (Mozambican National Resistance).
    
11. Enacted a new constitution in 1990 which provided a multi-party political system, market-based economy, and free elections.
    

12. Civil War ended in 1992 with the General Peace Corps.
    
13. By mid 1995, the 1.7 million Mozambican refugees returned. An estimated 4 million displaced people returned to their areas of origin.

Geography

• Southeastern Africa, bordering Mozambique channel, between South Africa and Tanzania.
• Mozambique has an area of 309,496 square miles or 801,590 square kilometers, (which is a little less than twice the size of the state of California.)
• Climate: Tropical, subtropical
• Terrain: coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west.
• The most important rivers are the Zambezi, the Limpopo, the Save (Sabi), and the Lugenda. The most important lake is Lake Malawi (also called Lake Niassa).
• Thick forest covers the wet regions, but the drier interior has little vegetation. 
• Wild animals including elephants, buffalo, wildebeests, zebras, hippopotamuses, lions, crocodiles roam the land. 

Economy & Infastructure

Infrastructure in Mozambique is generally poor, especially in areas that were heavily damaged in the war.

1. Over all they have very poor transportation, approx. 30,400 km of highways, and only 5,685 km of them are paved. Most of the remaining 24,175 kilometers are almost impossible to travel on during the rainy season.
2. The World Bank is currently implementing an $850 million program to rebuild the road network, along with the coastal port system.
3. In addition to the road network, there is a total of 3,131 kilometers of railway, as well as 104 airports, with many of them unpaved.
4. Major rail lines connect to South Africa, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Malawi and Zimbabwe are dependent upon Mozambique's railway’s because they use Mozambique’s ports (they are both landlocked).
5. Mozambiques water ports are located in Biera, Maputo, and Nacala.
6. Aluminum is takes up 1/3 of there exports, others include  cotton, sugar, citrus, timber...etc. They import machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs and textiles.
7. GDP: 10.21$ billion, 40.8% of our GDP is in debt.
8. 1 million children do not attend school.
9. Current Jobs: agriculture: 81%, industry: 6%, services: 13% (1997 est.)
10. Unemployment is at 21%

After gaining independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's poorest countries. A brutal civil war from 1977-92  made things even worse. In 1987, the government tried to make an effort in stabilizing the economy. These steps, combined with donations and with improved political stability (since the multi-party elections in 1994), have dramatically improved Mozambique.

However, Mozambique remains dependent upon foreign assistance for more than half of its annual budget, and 70% of the population still remains below the poverty line. Agricultural work continues to employ the people’s majority.

In July 2007, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a Compact with Mozambique; the Compact entered into force in September 2008 and will continue for five years. Compact projects will focus on improving sanitation, roads, agriculture, and the business regulation environment in an effort to spur economic growth in the four northern provinces of the country. Mozambique grew at an average annual rate of 9% in the decade up to 2007, one of Africa's strongest performances. However, heavy reliance on aluminum, which accounts for about one-third of exports, subjects the economy to volatile international prices. The sharp decline in aluminum prices during the global economic crisis lowered GDP growth by several percentage points. Despite 8.3% GDP growth in 2010, the increasing cost of living prompted citizens to riot in September 2010, after fuel, water, electricity, and bread price increases were announced. In an attempt to contain the cost of living, the government implemented subsidies, decreased taxes and tariffs, and instituted other fiscal measures.

Culture

Customs and Traditions: 

Mozambique was under the control of the Portuguese government for many years, and has gone through decades of colonialism. However, the Mozambican culture have survived, and many traditional practices are still around today.

Religion:

30% are Christians found mainly in the south. In the north, 20% of Mozambicans are Muslims. The rest of the population is intermingled with a mixed religious belief. Traditional notions are based on the idea that every living thing has a spiritual life that dominates. Strong beliefs that the spirits of dead ancestors affect their daily life also exist.

Language:

The national or official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, but languages in this country vary widely, differing from family to family. Here are some examples:

• Emakhua, spoken by at least 41% of the total population of the country
• Nyanja-Sena, spoken by at least 10% of the population
• Shona, spoken by 8% of the population here
• Tsonga, spoken by 19% of the total population of the country.

Music & Arts:

Mozambicans often identify primarily with a tribe and/or linguistic group. The Makonde (the name for the people in the north) are known for their ebony masks and sculptures. The Chopi (from the south central coast) are well known for their complex music and dances. Mozambique’s tradition of visual arts has inspired modern artists who have an international reputation.

Different native groups/communities have different customs when it comes to dancing and art. Though performance arts and traditional art are mostly related to religious and social practices,  some regional traditions are well accepted throughout the nation and even across countries.

Mozambique Music:

Mozambican singer, Dilon Djindji is known as 'the grand old man of Marrabenta,' and didn't enjoy international success until the ripe old age of 75 according to a National Geographic story. For examples of his music, click here.

Cuisine: 

The main ingredient of the Mozambican diet is generally fresh seafood. Stews, corn porridge, rice (arroz), millet, and cassava (mandioca) are also widely available. Meats such as beef and chicken are served with potatoes, beans, cassava chips, cashew nuts, and a variety of spices, including garlic and peppers. Seasonal fruits include papaya and pineapples.

 
In addition to the widely served coffee and tea, adults Mozambicans drink locally brewed beer made from corn which is a sweet, thick beverage often consumed on special occasions from a communal cup. A type of Portuguese wine, called Madeira, is popular in Mozambique. (It was also extremely popular in America during the colonial era and was the drink used by George Washington to toast the Declaration of Independence in 1776.)

Healthcare

Infant mortality:78.95 deaths/1,000 live births

Life Expectancy:
51.78 years

Common diseases:

• Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
• Vector-borne diseases: malaria and plague
• Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
• Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Doctors per 1,000 people: 
0.024354  (or approximately 1 doctor for 48,000 people)

Issues/ Problems: HIV/AIDS

Major infectious diseases in Mozambique are at high risk to the people. One HIV/AIDS is one of them.

 HIV/AIDS: Facts

• 11.5% prevalence in adults.
• 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS, more than 90,000 of them are children under 15 years of age.
• Has caused 74,000 deaths (2009 est.)
• The first case of HIV/AIDS was diagnosed in 1986 (in Mozambique).
• Following this was a steady increase in prevalence (up to an est. 16.2%) for people from age 15 to 49 (2004 est.)
• In July 2004, the Mozambican government declared that HIV/AIDS was a national emergency.
• Most infections are found in woman. This is because woman are disadvantaged in social and physical power, and they do not often have a say. That leads to unprotected sex. Statistics prove that their HIV/AIDs prevalence rate is three times higher then males.
• Among adults, it is estimated that this disease is now 25%  of the causes for death in Mozambique.
• In 2004, another problem was occurring due to AIDS. That year, it was estimated that around 325,000 children had lost one or both of their parents to the disease. The orphan crisis in this country is a major problem, and is adding to the nation’s poverty. It was estimated that those numbers would reach 626,000 by 2010.
• Today, there is need for greater prioritization of this disease by the government. It is important to sustain the essential human resources used to help.
• Another reason for the prevalence rate being so high is due to the near 2 million refugees still returning to Mozambique after the peace agreement in 1992. They are returning from neighborring countries where this disease also has high rates.
• HIV/AIDs was was also a serious threat to the prison pollpulation in this country. Back then prevalence in different prisons was estimated between twice and 50 times the rate in the general population of Mozambique.
• Today community awareness on this issue has grown tremendously, and people continue to donate and volunteer around the world.

Current Events

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