History: Mozambique Travel, Mozambique Safaris & Tours

Mozambique Travel

History

Mozambique’s recorded history goes back many centuries and the country has been subject to conquest and exploitation since time immemorial. As early as AD600 Arab traders had established contact with the local people and subsequently established fortified trading posts along the coastline. Via these trading posts slaves, gold and ivory were shipped to the Arab world. The Portuguese first arrived in 1488 and established a firm presence along the coast ousting the Arabs from their impenetrable evil trading stations by 1510.

The Portuguese established their seat of colonial power on Moçambique Island, constructing the imposing Fortress of Saint Sebastian over a period of several decades after 1558. The town survived a number of attacks from Arabs and the United East India Company and remained the chief trading port and capital city of the Portuguese Province of Mozambique up until 1886, when Lourenço Marques (Maputo) replaced it as the territory’s capital. The fortunes kept in the old fortified trading posts along the Moçambique coast were earned in the horrific slave trade, from ivory and gold as the routes along which this bounty travelled terminated at these settlements on the Indian Ocean. As a result of this the towns of Ibo, Mozambique, Sofala and Quelimane were established. Instead of things becoming better for the native Africans, powerful family dynasties from Portugal established control over vast areas of the interior, often aligned with local African chieftains and Muslim traders, and controlled the flow of gold, ivory and slaves to the coastal markets. These fiefdoms traded with the ancient empire of the Mwana Mutapa in present-day Zimbabwe and exerted their control and influence over their territories by force of arms, as did the British, French and Belgium’s more recently on Africa’s west coast.

The Portuguese were content to limit their direct colonial control over the trading ports at the coast and exhibited little interest in establishing formal control over the interior regions of the country for more than two centuries after their arrival. Their control of the trading ports ensured that the wealth of the interior was channelled into their coffers. Trading routes were established from present-day Malawi to the coast at Ibo and Moçambique Island and from Tete and present day Zimbabwe to the coast at Sofala, which was ultimately replaced by the modern port at Beira. Similarly, in the south trading routes were established from Lourenço Marques to South Africa, purely as a means for the Portuguese to extract the wealth of the interior. Despite the fact that the Portuguese had been the dominant power in Mozambique from 1500 they had never bothered to formalise the extent of their control and the boundaries of the modern state of Moçambique were only finalised in 1891 as a result of the British occupation of present-day Zimbabwe.

The Portuguese Government resisted the tide of African nationalism which swept Africa after the close of the Second World War and were content with the status of their African colonies as Provinces of Portugal. A guerrilla war ensued during the 1960’s and 1970’s and the 1974 Portuguese revolution, which toppled the dictator Caetano, precipitated a collapse of the Portuguese administration in Mozambique. Frelimo, the national resistance movement, swept to power as the Portuguese abandoned their colony precipitating the flight of most of the Portuguese inhabitants of Mozambique. The economy of the territory collapsed. Frelimo instituted strict Marxist and Communist policies in the new independent state nationalising commercial farms, mines and commercial enterprises, which exacerbated the decline of the already collapsed economy. A civil war broke out between Frelimo and Renamo, a resistance movement originally established and supported by the Rhodesian and South African Governments to destabilise the hostile Frelimo administration. The civil war raged for 17 years until 1994 and destroyed the sparse infrastructure of the country and decimated Mozambique’s economy. The peace treaty concluded in 1994 brought peace to the country and was followed by elections, which gave Frelimo a slender majority in parliament. Frelimo abandoned its former socialist policies and the country embarked on a programme of drastic economic restructuring, resulting in a sustained period of economic growth and political stability.

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	14 Days Discover Mocambique (NJMJ) JHB - JHB From $957 per person per night	More than just a beach holiday, this Mocambique tour has the added bonus of visiting both Swaziland and Kruger NP. A great and relaxing 14 day adventure! *Tour Duration:* 14 days

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Mozambique - Tourist Information
Statistics Statistics Population: 19.7 million Area: 801 590 sq. kms. GDP per capita: US$ 1 300 Languages: Portuguese		Climate Mozambique is essentially a hot country as it is mostly situated at low elevations and almost entirely within the tropics. The hot rainy season is from November to March and the dry winter months are... More »»
Currency and Credit Cards The unit of currency in Mozambique is the Meticais. Bank notes are in very high denominations. Luxury hotels and certain shops and restaurants in Maputo accept valid, international credit cards... More »»		Electricity The Mozambique power grid uses 220/240 volts AC 50 Hertz. Wall sockets (round 3 pin) are rated to carry a maximum of 15 amps. It is important to carry a 3 pin round and square adapter, as this is... More »»
Public Holidays 01 January - New Year's Day 03 February - Heroes Day 07 April - Women’s Day 01 May - Workers Day 25 May - Africa Day 25 June - Independence Day 07 September - Victory Day 25 September - Armed... More »»		Visas and Entry Requirements Valid passports are required by all foreign nationals to enter Mozambique. All air arrivals must be in possession of a valid return ticket, failing which the equivalent cost of the airfare must be... More »»
Economy Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world with an economy almost completely eliminated by years of mismanagement and civil war. In recent years however the Frelimo Government has adopted... More »»		Geography Mozambique’s neighbours include Tanzania and Malawi to the north, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the west and north-west and South Africa and Swaziland in the south and south-west.
General Mozambique is a large country dominated by 3.000 kilometer coastal shore along the Indian Ocean, reaching from Tanzania to the border with South Africa. Mozambique's beaches are famous - endless... More »»		History Mozambique’s recorded history goes back many centuries and the country has been subject to conquest and exploitation since time immemorial. As early as AD600 Arab traders had established contact with... More »»
Physical Features Mozambique is dominated by its three thousand-kilometre coastline. Savannah and dense woodlands and forests largely cover the interior of the country. The western border with Zimbabwe is... More »»		Political Features Mozambique is divided into ten provinces and Portuguese is the official language, with English increasingly important especially in Maputo. The capital city and most populous urban centre is Maputo,... More »»
Accommodation The variety of accommodation in Mozambique is fairly limited including luxury hotels in Maputo and luxury lodges on the offshore islands and along the southern coast. Accommodation in most other areas... More »»		Religion Christian, African Indigenous Beliefs, Jewish (very few), Muslim and Hindu.
Banks and Foreign Exchange Banking hours in most centres are 08h15 to 11h00 Mondays to Fridays. Banks are closed on Saturday and Sunday. The United States Dollar and the South African Rand are the most acceptable foreign... More »»		Business Hours Most businesses and shops are open between 14h00 and 18h00 on Mondays and 08h30 and 13h00 and 15h00 and 18h30 on other weekdays and Saturday. Shops and businesses are closed on Sundays. Curios can be... More »»
Dining and Drinking Mozambican food reflects the agricultural products of the country. Superb seafood products feature prominently. Maputo boasts a wide variety of restaurants featuring most of the prominent cuisine... More »»		Media and Television Local newspapers are published in Portuguese and a limited national radio network broadcasts in Portuguese and in local languages. DSTV satellite television with approx. 100 regional and international... More »»
Medical Care Visitors are responsible for their own medical needs and it is advisable to carry comprehensive medical insurance including emergency medical evacuation cover. Hospital services are generally poor and... More »»		Postal Services Opening hours of the Post Offices is Monday to Friday from 07h30 to 12h30 & from 14h30 to 16h30. The Post Offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Telephones A modern and efficient telephone service is available in towns and cities across the country. Direct national and international dialling is possible.		Tipping Tipping for service is standard practice in Mozambique and is usually 10% in restaurants and about US$1 for hotel porters, cleaners and maids in hotels and Lodges usually get between US$1 and US$2 per... More »»
Air Travel Direct flights from Johannesburg and Harare and a service from Lisbon, Portugal are the only effective links to the outside world. The internal airline links Maputo with Beira, Nampula, Pemba and... More »»		Road Travel and Public Transport The road network is poorly developed. Access to Maputo from the South African border, north up the coast as far as Vilankulo and from Beira to the Zimbabwe border is possible with a normal two wheel... More »»
Security Although Mozambique has a relatively low level of crime with most offences involving petty thieving, the poor economy in the country is resulting in an escalation of more serious crime and it is... More »»

Map of Mozambique

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Map of Mozambique