Inflation

The government’s tight control of spending and the money supply, combined with financial sector reform, successfully reduced inflation from 70% in 1994 to less than 5% in 1998–99. Economic disruptions stemming from the devastating floods of 2000 caused inflation to jump to 12.7% that year, and it was 13% in 2003. Mozambique’s currency, the Metical (MZM), devaluated by 50% to the dollar in 2001, although in late 2001 it began to stabilize. Since then, it has held steady at about 24,000 MZM to 1 U.S. dollar. New Metical replaced old Meticals at a rate of a thousand to one on January 1, 2007, bringing the exchange rate to 25 (new) MZN to 1 USD.

Nampula

Nampula – Province in north-east of Mozambique on the Indian Ocean. The administrative center of the province is the city of Nampula (315.0 thousand. Inhabitant.). Other major cities are Nacala, Angoche and Mozambique.

Nampula is the most populated province of Mozambique.

Zambezia

Zambezia is the most-populous province of Mozambique, located in the central coastal region south of Nampula and north of Sofala. It has a population of 3.794.509 (2006).[1] The provincial capital is Quelimane on the Bons Sinais River.

Zambezia has a total area of 103,127 km², much of it drained by the Zambezi River. Much of the coast consists of mangrove swamps, and there is considerable forest inland.

Agricultural products include rice, maize, cassava, cashews, sugarcane, coconuts, citrus, cotton, and tea; the country’s largest tea estates are at Gurúè. Fishing is especially productive of shrimp, and gemstones are mined at several sites.

Mozambique – Travel Guide with tips for your holiday

The government-controlled radio broadcasting company Moçambique operates several radio stations. The programs are in Portuguese, English and several African languages. The Noticias published in Maputo is Mozambique’s leading newspaper.

Under the amended constitution later in 1975 Mozambique was a Democratic People’s Republic under the leadership of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberation de Mozambique, FRELIMO), the only authorized party. Founded in 1962 the party began in 1964 struggle for independence Mozambique since 1977 and pursued Marxist-Leninist policies. The executive was the president of FRELIMO, which dominated the party from an existing unicameral People’s Assembly. With the in November 1990 came into force in the new constitution was a multi-party system was introduced. 1992 was the first opposition party Mozambique, the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo), admitted.

The head of state is the President, for a term of five years will be directly elected. The 250 Members of Parliament (Assembleia da República) will be elected for four years. The state is divided administratively into ten provinces and the capital.

The Supreme People’s Court and subordinate courts, the law true. The army Mocambique consists of 8 200 soldiers, the Navy 200 and includes the Air Force 1 000 soldiers (2002).

Mozambique economy is based primarily on agriculture. At the beginning of the nineties had the economy nor the independence struggle and the exodus of skilled Portuguese recover, this phase has been through several droughts and by a protracted civil war more difficult. Most foreign-owned plantations and industrial enterprises were nationalized, the centrally controlled economic policies. In 1990 the government free-market one. Mozambique is one of the poorest countries on earth. The gross domestic product (GDP) amounts to 3 599 million U.S. dollars (1997; services 42.5 percent, industry 34 percent, agriculture 23.5 percent), resulting in a GDP per capita of 200 U.S. dollars.

83 percent of the workforce are employed in agriculture, while only 5.4 percent of the country’s agricultural land is used. The main agricultural products, some of which come from plantations, are cashew nuts, sugar cane, cotton, copra and tea. Staple foods are cassava, maize, wheat, groundnuts, potatoes and beans.

Cabo Delgado

Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It has an area of 77,867 km² and a population of 1,650,270 (2006).^[1] Pemba is the capital of the province. As well as bordering the neighboring country of Tanzania, it borders the provinces of Nampula and Niassa. The region is an ethnic stronghold of the Makonde tribe. Macua and Mwani ethnic groups are also present.

Conflict and civil war

The new government, under president Samora Machel, gave shelter and support to South African (ANC) and Zimbabwean (ZANU) liberation movements while the governments of first Rhodesia and later South Africa (at that time still operating the apartheid laws) fostered and financed an armed rebel movement in central Mozambique called the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). Hence, civil war, sabotage from neighbouring white-ruled states such as Rhodesia and the Apartheid regime of South Africa, and economic collapse characterized the first decade of Mozambican independence. Also marking this period were the mass exodus of Portuguese nationals and Mozambicans of Portuguese heritage, a weak infrastructure, and government nationalisation of privately owned industries. During most of the civil war, the government was unable to exercise effective control outside of urban areas, many of which were cut off from the capital. An estimated 1 million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7 million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced. On October 19, 1986 Samora Machel was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in the presidential Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft when the plane crashed in the Lebombo Mountains, near Mbuzini. There were nine survivors but President Machel and twenty-four others died, including ministers and officials of the Mozambique government. The United Nations’ Soviet delegation issued a minority report contending that their expertise and experience had been undermined by the South Africans. Representatives of the USSR advanced the theory that the plane had been intentionally diverted by a false navigational beacon signal, using a technology provided by military intelligence operatives of the South African government (at that time still operating the laws of apartheid).^[1] Machel’s successor, Joaquim Chissano, continued the reforms and began peace talks with RENAMO. The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a multi-party political system, market-based economy, and free elections. The civil war ended in October 1992 with the Rome General Peace Accords, brokered by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Under supervision of the ONUMOZ peacekeeping force of the United Nations, peace returned to Mozambique.

By mid-1995 the more than 1.7 million Mozambican refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, and South Africa as a result of war and drought had returned, as part of the largest repatriation witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, a further estimated four million internally displaced persons returned to their areas of origin.

When to Go

The best times to visit are between May and November, when both rainfall and temperatures are at their lowest. It’s also possible to travel during the early part of the warmer, rainy season from November to January (though be prepared for high temperatures, especially in January). If possible, avoid the height of the rains – from about February to March/April – as many roads become impassable and flooding is common in the south and centre. Around Easter, Christmas/New Year’s and in August, Mozambique’s southern coastal resorts become overrun with the vacationing neighbours and advance bookings are highly advisable.

Maputo

Maputo, formerly Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. A port on the Indian Ocean, its economy is centered around the harbour. It has an official population of approximately 966,837 (1997), but the actual population is estimated to be much higher because of slums and other unofficial settlements. Coal, cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra, and hardwood are the chief exports. The city manufactures cement, pottery, furniture, shoes, and rubber. There is also a large aluminium smelting plant, Mozal. The city is surrounded by Maputo Province, but is administered as its own province.

The Republic of Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique, pronounced [ʁɛ'publikɐ dɨ musɐ̃'bikɨ]), is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. By 1510, the Portuguese had control of all of the former Arab sultanates on the east African coast. From about 1500, Portuguese trading posts and forts became regular ports of call on the new route to the east.

It is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the Commonwealth of Nations. Mozambique (Moçambique) was named after Muça Alebique, a sultan.