30 Facts About Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Mocambique or, ; Chichewa: Mozambiki; Swahili: Msumbiji; Tsonga: Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Africa to the southwest.

In 1994, Mozambique held its first multiparty elections and has since remained a relatively stable presidential republic, although it still faces a low-intensity insurgency distinctively in the farthermost regions from the southern capital and where Islam is dominant.

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources, notwithstanding the country's economy is based chiefly on fishery - substantially molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms - and agriculture with a growing industry of food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminium and oil.

Only official language in Mozambique is Portuguese, regarded as the unity language, spoken by most in urban areas and between the younger educated population.

The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions.

Related searches

Mozambique is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La Francophonie.

Country was named Mocambique by the Portuguese after the Island of Mozambique, derived from Mussa Bin Bique or Musa Al Big or Mossa Al Bique or Mussa Ben Mbiki or Mussa Ibn Malik, an Arab trader who first visited the island and later lived there.

Island of Mozambique after which the country is named, is a small coral island at the mouth of Mossuril Bay on the Nacala coast of northern Mozambique, first explored by Europeans in the late 15th century.

These land grants tied emigrants to their settlements, and inland Mozambique was largely left to be administered by prazeiros, the grant holders, while central authorities in Portugal concentrated their direct exercise of power on, in their view, the more important Portuguese possessions in Asia and the Americas.

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique initiated a guerrilla campaign against Portuguese rule in September 1964.

Mozambique held elections in 1994, which were accepted by most political parties as free and fair although still contested by many nationals and observers alike.

In 1995, Mozambique joined the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming, at the time, the only member nation that had never been part of the British Empire.

In December 1999, Mozambique held elections for a second time since the civil war, which were again won by FRELIMO.

Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa and is bound by Eswatini to the south, South Africa to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Tanzania to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Constitution of Mozambique stipulates that the President of the Republic functions as the head of state, head of government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and as a symbol of national unity.

Mozambique is directly elected for a five-year term via run-off voting; if no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast in the first round of voting, a second round of voting will be held in which only the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round will participate, and whichever of the candidates obtains a majority of votes in the second round will thus be elected president.

Mozambique's functions include convening and chairing the council of ministers, advising the president, assisting the president in governing the country, and coordinating the functions of the other ministers.

Mozambique operates a small, functioning military that handles all aspects of domestic national defence, the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces.

Mozambique is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and ranks among the moderate members of the African bloc in the United Nations and other international organisations.

Mozambique belongs to the African Union and the Southern African Development Community.

Similarly, in 1995 Mozambique joined its Anglophone neighbours in the Commonwealth of Nations.

Mozambique is divided into ten provinces and one capital city (cidade capital) with provincial status.

Mozambique is a member of the Southern African Development Community.

Mozambique was ranked 116 of 178 countries in anti-graft watchdog Transparency International's index of global corruption.

Mozambique was found to have colluded with the accountant in the Anti-Drugs Office, Recalda Guambe, to steal over 260, 000 meticais between 2008 and 2010.

Related searches

The government of Mozambique has taken steps to address the problem of corruption, and some positive developments can be observed, such as the passages of several anti-corruption bills in 2012.

Mozambique has a great potential for growth in its gross domestic product.

Mozambique was ruled by Portugal, and they share a main language and main religion (Roman Catholicism).

Staples and crops such as cassava and cashew nuts ( of Brazilian origin, though Mozambique was once the largest producer of these nuts), and paozinho (pronounced, Portuguese-style buns), were brought in by the Portuguese.

Music of Mozambique serves many purposes, ranging from religious expression to traditional ceremonies.