History & Facts
Mozambique is among the poorest countries in the world, with families surviving on less than $2 a day.
15th Century – the Portuguese ‘colonised’ Mozambique. The Portuguese did little to develop the country, and simply rented out available resources – there was no social investment in Mozambique.
1960s to 1975 – The independence movement in the 1960s led to independence in 1975. The Portuguese pulled out virtually overnight leaving the country lacking skilled professionals and infrastructure.
Early 1980s – the country was nearly bankrupt and the shops were empty. With few options, the government turned to the governments of the Soviet Union and East Germany for help. Portuguese buildings are still in use but many are in a state of disrepair.
1977 to 1992 – Mozambique was ravaged by civil war following the disapproval of the strategic alliance, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and South Africa supported and trained rebels in Mozambique. The war led to the destruction of most of Mozambique’s infrastructure, including roads and railways. Many refugees fled to neighbouring countries.
1983 – Drought and famine struck the country and the government opened up Mozambique to the West to receive food aid.
1992 – A peace treaty was signed
1994 – Official elections were held.
Mid 1995 – over 1.7 million refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring countries had returned to Mozambique.
Further challenges
Flood – In 2000 floods devastated the country.
Drought – Some flooded areas were hit by drought the following year.
Economy – The current economy is crippled by debt with annual payments almost twice the public health budget.
Mortality – Infant mortality rates from largely curable diseases are at 13%.
Life Expectancy – Average life expectancy is less than 40 because of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, leprosy and HIV which is increasingly prevalent.
Education – Around 10% of children attend secondary school and only 2% attend higher education. The illiteracy rate in the adult population is high.
Resources – The country has resources such as timber, cotton and copper but the industries are not competitive because of the lack of infrastructure.
Infrastructure – Reasonable road and rail service are almost non-existent and reliable access to power and communication is patchy.
