Mozambique

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This article is about the country in Africa. For other uses, see Mozambique (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 18°15′S 35°00′E

Republic of Mozambique

República de Moçambique (Portuguese)

Flag of Mozambique

Flag

Emblem of Mozambique

Emblem

Anthem: Pátria Amada (Portuguese)

"Beloved Homeland"

MENU0:00

Location of Mozambique (dark blue) in the African Union (light blue)

Location of Mozambique (dark blue)

in the African Union (light blue)

Capital

and largest city

Maputo

25°57′S 32°35′E

Official languages Portuguese

Demonym(s) Mozambican

Government Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential constitutional republic[1][2][3]

• President

Filipe Nyusi

• Prime Minister
Carlos Agostinho do Rosário

Legislature Assembly of the Republic

Formation

• Portuguese East Africa

1 March 1498

• Independence from Portugal, under Communist rule

25 June 1975

• Admitted to the United Nations

16 September 1975

• Current constitution

30 November 1990

• Cabo Delgado Province insurgency

5 October 2017

Area

• Total

801,590 km2 (309,500 sq mi) (35th)

• Water (%)

2.2

Population

• 2020 estimate

30,066,648 [4] (48th)

• 2017 census

27,909,798

• Density

28.7/km2 (74.3/sq mi) (178th)

GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate

• Total

$41.473 billion

• Per capita
$1,331[5]

GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate

• Total

$15.372 billion

• Per capita

$493[5]

Gini (2008) Negative increase 45.7[6]

medium

HDI (2018) Increase 0.446[7]

low · 180th

Currency Mozambican metical (MZN)

Time zone UTC+2 (CAT)

Driving side left

Calling code +258

ISO 3166 code MZ

Internet TLD .mz

Website

www.portaldogoverno.gov.mz

Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena and others.

Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this
can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Mozambique (/ˌmoʊzæmˈbiːk/), officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or

República de Moçambique, Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ ðɨ musɐ̃ˈbikɨ]; Chichewa: Mozambiki;
Swahili: Msumbiji; Tsonga: Muzambhiki), is a country located in Southern 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 (Swaziland) and South Africa to the southwest. The sovereign state is separated from the
Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city
of Mozambique is Maputo (formerly known as "Lourenço Marques" from 1876 to 1976).

Between the first and fifth centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated to present-day Mozambique
from farther north and west. Northern Mozambique lies within the monsoon trade winds of the Indian
Ocean. Between the 7th and 11th centuries, a series of Swahili port towns developed here, which
contributed to the development of a distinct Swahili culture and language. In the late medieval period,
these towns were frequented by traders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and India.[8]

The voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portuguese, who began a gradual
process of colonisation and settlement in 1505. After over four centuries of Portuguese rule,
Mozambique gained independence in 1975, becoming the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly
thereafter. After only two years of independence, the country descended into an intense and protracted
civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992. 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.
[9]

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based
largely on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing and
aluminium and petroleum production. The tourism sector is also expanding. South Africa is
Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment, while Belgium, Brazil,
Portugal and Spain are also among the country's most important economic partners. Since 2001,
Mozambique's annual average GDP growth has been among the world's highest. However, the country
is still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world,[10] ranking low in GDP per
capita, human development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.[11]

The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by
about half the population. Common native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. The
country's population of around 29 million is composed of overwhelmingly Bantu people. The largest
religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional
religions. Mozambique is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of
Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries,
the Non-Aligned Movement, the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La
Francophonie.