Mozambique is a nation in southeastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean to the east, and facing the island of Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel. Mozambique shares borders with six other African nations: South Africa and Swaziland to the south, Zimbabwe to the west, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, and Tanzania to the north.
Fast Facts:
- Capital: Maputo
- Government: Republic
- Population: Approx. 21,397,000
- Currency: Mozambican metical
- Exchange Rate
- Official Language: Portuguese
Brief History
Mozambique served as an outpost for Arab traders for centuries before Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached the area in 1498. Organized trade from Portugal resulted in the area's colonization beginning in 1505, and Portuguese remains the most widely spoken language in the nation. Mozambique achieved its independence from Portugal in 1975. After independence, the nation plunged into a civil war from which it only emerged in the 1990s, after the death and displacement of millions of Mozambicans.
Culture
Mozambique is a diverse religious nation, with large populations of Roman Catholics, Zionists (a Christian religion begun in Illinois), and Muslims.
