An Introduction to Southern Africa: MOZAMBIQUE

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Mozambique

President: Filipe Nyusi
Prime Minister: Carlos Agostinho do Rosário

Mozambique is a country located in Sub-Saharan Africa that borders the Indian Ocean to the East, Tanzania to the North, Zimbabwe to the West and South Africa to the South-West. 

  • There are 24.5 million people in Mozambique: half below the age of 17 with half the women giving birth before 19.

 
  • About a third of the Population is Christian with the majority being Catholic, about a quarter practice Islam and more that half practicing traditional animist beliefs (beliefs in their ancestors and their power and ability to affect the lives of the living) which some incorporate into their Christian or Islamic beliefs.

  • Mozambique is a multilingual society with Portuguese being the official language. The people also speak Swahili and variations of Bantu including Thonga, Ndau, Sena, and Yao.  Some people do speak English but most of those that do are those who need to, like politicians and businessmen.

  • Maputo, the capital, is a vibrant city with a population of 1.5m, with white sandy beaches and a mural showing the 16 year civil war (that followed their Independence form Portugal in 1975 and stopped in 1992) which is 95 metres long.


  • Mozambique's coast runs for 1500 miles and features islands and coral reefs where over 1200 species of fish can be found.

  • Maputo Elephant Reserve is home to a herd of 350 elephants, whose habitat was under threat.
  • In 2011, Beyoncé flew a group of tofu dancers from Mozambique to the USA, so they could teach her dance team their unique moves.  The dances can be seen in the 'Who Run The World' Music Video.
Mozambique is home to many tribes that have their own cultures and practice their own traditions and speak their own languages, in their own dialects.  Below are some of the faces of Mozambique: 





  • When it comes to cultural differences, there is one main distinction between groups. In southern Mozambique, groups such as the Thonga are patrilineal, where families trace their descent through the male line.   But in northern areas of the country, many groups are matrilineal. This means males trace their ancestry back through their mother. In these groups, it is common for husbands to live near their wife’s family.
 Ashleigh Nyambirai (Southern-Africa Student Ambassador)



 

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