Mozambique Overview
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in Southeast Africa bordered by Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and the Indian Ocean. It is also separated from the island of Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel.
Mozambique Demographics
Other groups living in Mozambique include: Makonde, Swahili, Tonga, Yao, Nguni, and Chopi. The Bantu account for 97.8% of the population, with the rest including White Africans (mostly of Portuguese descent), Euro-Africans (of mixed Bantu and Portuguese heritage) and Indians. There are about 45,000 people of Indian descent in the country.
The Makua live in the northern region of the country, the Sena and Shona live in the Zambezi valley, and the Shangaan (or Tsonga) are dominant in the southern region of the country.
Mozambique Religion, Economy and Politics
Religion in Mozambique is somewhat varied, with 56.1% of the population practicing Christianity, 17.9% practicing Islam, and the remaining with the remaining 26% either practicing a different religion or being agnostic/atheist. Religious groups tend to be in different regions of the country, with the north being predominantly Muslim and the south having more Christians.
More than half of the country’s population lives in poverty and rely on agricultural subsidies. Private land ownership is strictly prohibited, and political corruption and police extortion are commonplace in Mozambique. Politics and business go hand in hand in an unhealthy way, and keeps the people of the country in very unfortunate circumstances.
Mozambique Population History
The longstanding power of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) has been in place since 1975. They clashed with the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) during a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992. The government has been accumulating unauthorized debt for a long time, making it difficult to get aid and keeping most of the country very poor.