Geography
Mozambique, with Maputo as its capital, is located on the southeastern coast of Africa between Tanzania and South Africa. The country borders the Mozambique Channel across which is Madagascar; the tropical coastline facing the Indian Ocean is especially well known. Its terrain also includes some mountains on the western border. The climate is tropical but suffers from severe drought and intermittent cyclones and flooding. |
|
Historically Mozambique was a Portuguese colony for nearly five centuries but gained its independence on June 25, 1975. The country was unable to develop significantly until the mid-1990s due to mass emigration, economic dependence on South Africa, and a long civil war. After fourteen years of Marxism, a new constitution allowed for multiparty elections and a free market economy via a peace treaty in 1992 that also ended the civil war. Despite prolonged economic challenges Mozambique is looking forward to peacebuilding and devolving some governance to the provinces.
|