Enter Task

Faculty:

Study area:

Subject:

Section:

Type:

Curriculum:

Sequence:

Title:

Wording:

Time:

hours

Introduction:

The Republic of Mozambique is a neighboring country to Malawi. It also borders 
Tanzania to the north, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the west and South Africa and 
Swaziland to the south. To the east it stretches almost 2,500 km along the Indian 
Ocean. It covers 800,000 sq. km and is thus one of the largest countries in Africa. 
It is a country of 24 million people and one of the poorest countries in the world. 
The nation is, however, rich in agricultural land, hydro electric power and mineral 
resources including oil and gas. Exploitation of the natural resources is being 
developed rapidly by large multinational companies and it is predicted that the 
economy of the country will grow significantly in the years to come. 
 
Mozambique was visited by Arab and Persian traders almost 1000 years ago and 
they established themselves along the northern coastal areas of Mozambique from 
where they traded across the land of Mozambique into both Malawi and the old 
Zimbabwean kingdoms. 
 
The Portuguese came to Mozambique in 1498. They soon expelled many of the Arab 
traders and established their own trading posts. They tried early on to conquer land 
further inland, but were pushed back by local people. In the 1700s, Arab kings took 
control of northern coastal areas of Mozambique and established a trade in slaves 
from Mozambique and Malawi. 
 
At the Berlin conference in 1884, where the European kings divided Africa among 
them, Mozambique was dedicated to Portugal and the British assisted Portugal in 
establishing full control of the country and ending Arab influence. 
 
Portugal itself was a somewhat weak and poor European power. The colonial regime 
did little to educate Africans and to develop the economy, allowing instead British 
merchants to trade in Mozambique. Only after 1950 did Portugal that was ruled by a 
dictator begin to modernize its colonial administration and development. When other 
nations in Africa gained independence from European colonial powers Portugal 
 
refused to give up its colonies, which it called &ldquo;Overseas Provinces&rdquo;. Thus followed 
a war of liberation that did not end until 1974, when some Portuguese officers made 
a coup against the dictatorship. Whereafter Mozambique and the other Portuguese 
colonies gained independence. 
 
Afrer independence the new government led by the Frelimo Party tried to build a 
socialist independent nation. But soon the country became engulfed in the wider 
conflict in the region where the South African Apartheid regime fought to prolong 
white rule in that country. The Civil War in Mozambique was a very tragic and 
distructive period, but in 1992 a peace agreement was reached. Since Mozambique 
has been at peace but centuries of colonialism and years of civil war had left the 
contry and its people very poor. 
 
Now the economy is developing. Roads have been constructed. Cities are growing 
and you see more bicycles on the roads than ever before. However, many people 
especially in rural areas remain very poor. 
 
Learn more of the basic facts about Mozambique from the files available. 
 
Good luck!

Directive:

Preview:

Files:

Requirement:

No.

Title

Type

Edit

Delete

Examination:

Language:

Search words:

Status:

Vouching: