Mozambique

B

Language, Ethnicity, and Religion

The people of Mozambique generally speak at least one of eight indigenous languages, which in turn partially defines their ethnicity. Most of the languages are Bantu in origin. In the extreme north are the Makonde people, who are related to the population of southern Tanzania. Their neighbors are the Yao, who live along the shore of Lake Malawi. Most of Nampula Province in north central Mozambique is inhabited by Makua speakers, who are the largest single linguistic group in the country. The Zambezi Valley has been a meeting place of many different peoples over the centuries, and its linguistic makeup reflects this history. People north of the river speak languages related to those of Malawi and Zambia, often referred to as the Maravi language group. South of the Zambezi as far as the Save River are groups who speak languages related to Shona. South of the Shona-speaking peoples are Tonga speakers, consisting of ethnic Tonga people and ethnic Chopi, a distinct group near the coast. In the extreme south and in areas near the Malawi border are Nguni speakers whose ancestors migrated from South Africa in the 19th century. Because there are so many different languages, Portuguese, the colonial language, has remained the country’s official language.

Few if any of Mozambique’s linguistic groupings are unified; rather, they are subdivided into numerous ethnic identities that have been fashioned by external cultural influences. Near the northern coast are Muslims who share many cultural traits with the coastal Swahili peoples of Tanzania and Kenya. For centuries these groups were heavily influenced by Arab trade and customs. In the central Zambezi Valley, the identities of the many fragmented groups were shaped by Portuguese settlement. Roman Catholicism, which enjoyed a privileged status under the Portuguese, claims a significant number of adherents in the valley, as well as in the southern part of the country. Various forms of Protestantism also are practiced. About half of Mozambique’s population adheres to traditional, animist religions. Because Mozambique’s population is divided into numerous small ethnic subgroups, there is no dominant ethnic group. Ethnicity generally has not been a major factor in Mozambican politics or social status.

C

Education

Although the Portuguese invested heavily in education in the last decade of their rule, for centuries before that they actively suppressed African education. As a result, 90 percent of Mozambicans were believed to be illiterate at independence in 1975. The first Mozambican government mounted a campaign for literacy and made education compulsory for children from ages 6 to 12, or for a total of 7 years. Schooling, however, was disrupted by the civil war, continuing only in the towns that escaped the fighting. By 2005 only 50 percent of the population was literate. In 2002–2003 an estimated 103 percent of primary-school-aged children attended school, and only 16 percent of secondary-school-aged children were enrolled. The country’s institutions of higher education enrolled just 17,225 students. Eduardo Mondlane University (founded in 1962) in Maputo is Mozambique’s largest university.

D

Way of Life

During the 20th century, the coastal cities attracted large Indian, European, and mixed-race populations, creating a melting pot of customs, languages, and cuisines. Many foreigners and people with foreign connections fled the country during the civil war, but the mix of cultures slowly revived in the late 1990s. The civil war also forced a large number of refugees from the countryside into the cities. South of the Zambezi, migrant laborers returning from South Africa have brought home Western goods and ideas, while north of the Zambezi, cultural traditions are typically more conservative. Patrilineal societies, that is, those that trace their heritage and descent through the father’s line, dominate south of the Zambezi River. North of the river, all of the ethnic groups except the Nguni are matrilineal, tracing their family through the mother’s line. Throughout urban and rural Mozambique, soccer is by far the most popular sport.

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IV

Culture

Many of the cultural traditions of the Mozambican people survived centuries of colonialism. The Makonde in the north are renowned for their ebony sculptures and masks. The Chopi of the south central coast are famous for their complex musical arrangements and dance. Mozambique’s tradition of visual art has produced several modern artists who have achieved international renown. One of the most famous Mozambican artists is Malangatana, whose paintings portray the sufferings of the colonial period and the civil war.

Many of the country’s museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions were destroyed in the civil war. Among those that survived were the national archives in Maputo, which were enlarged and reorganized after independence.

A portion of Mozambique’s historic architecture survived the civil war intact. Many of the coastal towns, especially in the north, feature buildings with Islamic arches and columns. The island town of Moçambique, also in the north, has several Portuguese-style churches and military and public buildings dating to the earliest colonial days.

V

Economy

Under Portuguese rule Mozambique was a major exporter of sugar, copra (the meaty lining of coconuts), cotton, rice, tea, and cashews. Mozambique also exported labor in enormous quantities, as the colonial government received compensation for the hundreds of thousands of Mozambicans who traveled to work in the mines of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Railroads, ports, and tourism also provided significant income and made services an important part of the country’s economy before independence.

In 1975 the first government of independent Mozambique established a Marxist state, in which most economic production was controlled by the government. Plantations and businesses that had been owned by Portuguese firms were collectivized, and the government made large investments to boost productivity. Western investors, especially the Portuguese, were antagonized by these and other changes, and vital foreign investment in the young republic dried up. Output soon stagnated and with the onset of the civil war in 1980 the economy quickly collapsed. For a decade, all economic life effectively came to a standstill. Railroads and industrial installations were destroyed, export trade stopped, and more than one million people died. Infusions of foreign aid staved off complete economic decimation.

In the late 1980s the government loosened its controls on what was left of the economy—it dismantled collective farms, encouraged foreign investment, and cut government subsidies. After a peace accord ended the civil war in 1992, the United Nations (UN) coordinated a large program to restore the economy; the program’s priorities were the resettling of refugees and reopening of ports and communication facilities. Reconstruction efforts, fueled by foreign aid, continued into the 21st century. In 2005 Mozambique’s gross domestic product (GDP) was $6.6 billion. Mozambique’s per capita income was estimated to be about $335.30 per year, making Mozambique one of the world’s poorest countries. Agriculture accounted for 22 percent of the economy. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, and construction, generated 30 percent of the GDP. The broad services category, which includes trade, produced 48 percent of the GDP in 2005.

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