Mozambique?

Question

date found
landforms
climate
people

Answer 1

Mozambique's first inhabitants were San hunters and gatherers, ancestors of the Khoisani peoples. Between the first and fourth centuries AD, waves of Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from the west and north through the Zambezi River valley and then gradually into the plateau and coastal areas. The Bantu were farmers and ironworkers.


Ilha de Moçambique was first discovered by Europeans in the late 1400s.When Portuguese explorers reached Mozambique in 1498, Arab commercial and slave trading settlements had existed along the coast and outlying islands for several centuries. From about 1500, Portuguese trading posts and forts became regular ports of call on the new route to the east. Later, traders and prospectors penetrated the interior regions seeking gold and slaves. Although Portuguese influence gradually expanded, its power was limited and exercised through individual settlers and officials who were granted extensive autonomy. As a result, investment lagged while Lisbon devoted itself to the more lucrative trade with India and the Far East and to the colonization of Brazil.

By the early twentieth century the Portuguese had shifted the administration of much of Mozambique to large private companies, like the Mozambique Company, the Zambezi Company and the Niassa Company, controlled and financed mostly by the British, which established railroad lines to neighboring countries and supplied cheap – often forced – African labor to the mines and plantations of the nearby British colonies and South Africa. Because policies were designed to benefit Portuguese immigrants and the Portuguese homeland, little attention was paid to Mozambique's national integration, its economic infrastructure, or the skills of its population.

Poverty alleviation and land reform in Mozambique

There are 3 key elements of the contemporary land reform programme in Mozambique that are designed to contribute to poverty alleviation objectives. These are as follows:


Strengthening of land tenure security for family sector producers.

The use of land as a productive resource is recognized as forming an integral part of the rural poors' survival strategies. In Mozambique, land and natural resource use by rural communities occupies a central position in their livelihoods, probably to a far greater extent than most other rural communities in the southern African region. By strengthening security of tenure for family sector producers it is hoped that people will invest more in the land that they already occupy, feel safe in extending the present areas used for production, feel able to defend their use of land from encroachment by private interests and will hence be able to produce more and get easier access to credit. It is recognised that a range of other inputs would also be required and that land tenure security in itself will not necessarily lead to increased economic activity and poverty reduction.


Encouraging investment in the rural economy through the granting of private land concessions.

This is, to some extent, a return to the pre-independence system and in Zambézia has manifested a revival of old colonial concessions. By allowing private land concessions it is hoped that there will be increased investment in production and employment creation in the rural areas. Part of the programme of granting concessions involves the generation of a tax base in land rentals to the state, at various levels, to ensure future sustainability of the land management system.


Establishment of partnerships between investors and rural communities.

This is the crucial element for bringing together the two elements mentioned above. By encouraging partnerships it is hoped that land tenure security of both communities and investors will be strengthened, mutually beneficial relationships will develop, leading to a better environment for investment by both outside investors and rural communities.
These key elements are expressed within the policy and legislation developed during the late 1990s. In the next section we examine the process of policy and legislative development and the subsequent translation of these into the planning and programming instruments of central government

Mozambique Climate and Weather
The climate varies in the different regions of the country, but generally the inland areas are slightly cooler, although more humid than along the coast in the rainy season. Winter is the dry season lasting from April to September, and is the best time to visit the country. The southern parts of the country are generally drier and less tropical than the north, with temperatures along the coast averaging 80ºF (27ºC). The rainy season coincides with the heat and humidity from October to March, with average coastal temperatures of 88ºF (31ºC).

Mozambique's major ethnic groups encompass numerous subgroups with diverse languages, dialects, cultures, and histories. Many are linked to similar ethnic groups living in neighboring countries. The north-central provinces of Zambezia and Nampula are the most populous, with about 45% of the population. The estimated four million Makua are the dominant group in the northern part of the country; the Sena and Shona (mostly Ndau) are prominent in the Zambezi valley, and the Shangaan (Tsonga) dominate in southern Mozambique. Other groups include Makonde, Yao, Swahili, Tonga, Chopi, Shona, and Nguni (including Zulu). The country has also a small number of Caucasian residents, largely Europeans of Portuguese ancestry. During Portuguese colonial rule, a large minority of Mozamibicans of Portuguese descent lived permanently in almost all areas of Mozambique, and Mozambicans with Portuguese citizenship at the time of independence was about 250,000. Most of these left the region after its freedom in 1975. There is also a small mestiço minority of Mozambicans with mixed Bantu and Portuguese heritage. The remaining minorities in Mozambique claim heritage from India, Pakistan, Portuguese India and Arab countries. There are also some 7,000 Chinese.

Despite the influence of Islamic coastal traders and European colonizers, the people of Mozambique have largely retained an indigenous culture based on small-scale agriculture. Mozambique's most highly developed art forms have been wood sculpture, for which the Makonde in northern Mozambique are particularly renowned, and dance. The middle and upper classes continue to be heavily influenced by the Portuguese colonial and linguistic heritage.

Portuguese is the official and most widely spoken language of the nation, because Bantus speak several of their different languages (most widely used of these are Swahili, Makua, Sena, Ndau, and Shangaan — these have many Portuguese-origin words), but 40% of all people speak it — 31%, mostly Bantus, as their second language and only 9%, mostly pure-blooded Portuguese and mestiços, speak it as their first language. Arabs, Chinese, and Indians speak their own languages (Indians from Portuguese India speak any of the Portuguese Creoles of their origin) aside from Portuguese as their second language. Most educated Mozambicans speak English, which is used in schools and business as second or third language.

During the colonial era, Christian missionaries were active in Mozambique, and many foreign clergy remain in the country. According to the national census, about 20%-30% of the population is Christian (with Catholicism as the largest denomination), 15%-20% is Muslim, and the remainder adheres to traditional beliefs.

Among the main Protestant churches are Igreja União Baptista de Moçambique, the Assembleias de Deus, the Seventh-day Adventists, the Anglican Church of Mozambique, the Igreja do Evangelho Completo de Deus, the Igreja Metodista Unida, the Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique, the Igreja de Cristo and the Assembleia Evangélica de Deus. The Roman-Catholic church established three archdioceses (Beira, Maputo and Nampula).

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Answer 2

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