From idyllic islands to the only country to have all five vowels in its name, these are the most interesting facts about Mozambique.
Fast facts
Official name: Republic of Mozambique
Population: 33,350,954
Area: 799,380 sq km
Capital city: Maputo
Major languages: Makhuwa, Portuguese
Major religions: Roman Catholic, Muslim, Zionist Christian, Evangelical/Pentecostal
Time zone: UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
Interesting facts about Mozambique
1. Mozambique is a country located in Southeast Africa bordering Malawi, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
2. The rich and diverse history of Mozambique dates back to the San hunter-gatherers and Khoisani peoples. These indigenous groups were later joined by Bantu-speaking peoples, who brought their agricultural and metalworking skills to the region.
3. Mozambique takes its name from an offshore island of the same name which was apparently named after Mussa al-Bik, an influential Arab slave trader who set himself up as sultan on the island in the 15th century.
4. If Scrabble allowed place names (proper nouns are not permitted), Mozambique would be worth 34 points – the highest score of any other one-word country. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan share second place on 30.
5. The Island of Mozambique is the country’s sole UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located just 4km off the mainland, the site is known for its 16th century architectural and historical significance.
6. The island is home to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte. Built in 1522, it is believed to be the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere.
7. Mozambique is also the only one-word country that includes all five vowels in its name.
8. Mozambique’s flag features green, black, and yellow horizontal stripes separated by narrow white bands, along with a red triangle at the hoist containing a yellow star, an open book, and a crossed hoe and rifle. The inclusion of the AK-47 rifle on the flag has sparked debate since Mozambique’s democratization in 1990, with some calling for its removal as a symbol of reconciliation and peace.
See how Mozambique’s flag compares to other African flags.
9. Mozambique is a poor country and one of the world’s least developed. In 2025, it ranked 182nd out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI).
10. In 2011, gas fields were discovered off Mozambique’s coast. It was hoped the discovery would transform the country’s economy, but despite recent growth, more than half of Mozambique’s population still live below the poverty line.
11. Mozambique is also among the world’s hungriest countries. In 2025, Mozambique is ranked 103rd out of 123 countries according to the 2025 Global Hunger Index. With a score of 25.9, Mozambique faces a “serious” hunger situation.
12. In 1498, famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama became the first European to visit Mozambique.
13. From the 16th century onwards, Portugal began colonising the region turning the area into a major slave-trading center during the 18th and 19th centuries.
14. In 1975, following over 10 years of guerilla war for independence and a 1974 military coup in Portugal, Mozambique finally became an independent country.
15. Resistance leader Samora Machel was Mozambique’s first president. He died in 1986 when his plane crashed in South Africa. It was widely believed that the South African government was involved in his death, although it strongly denied any association.
16. From 1977 to 1992, Mozambique was embroiled in a civil war that caused over a million deaths and saw a number of human rights violations.
17. Mozambique is home to more than 200 species of mammal, 720 bird species and 6,000 plant species, of which 330 are believed to be endemic.
18. Gorongosa National Park used to be one of Southern Africa’s best wildlife parks with 2,200 elephants, 200 lions, and 14,000 African buffalo among many other big mammals. However, during the civil war, the wildlife was decimated. Today, the Gorongosa National Park is rebuilding and has more than 650 elephants now.
19. In 2013, the last rhinos in Mozambique were killed by poachers making them extinct in the country. Wildlife in Mozambique has long suffered from poachers with low-paid rangers open to corruption. Additionally, Mozambican poachers regularly cross into Kruger National Park in South Africa to kill rhinos.
20. Mozambique is one of the Commonwealth members without historic ties to the United Kingdom. Other countries include Rwanda, Gabon and Togo.
21. Mozambique has a history of severe flooding, which regularly sees hundreds of people killed and thousands displaced.
22. More recently, Mozambique, which was hit by cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019. It was the worst natural disaster to hit Southern Africa in at least two decades and killed 603 people and affected over two million more.
23. Lake Malawi harbors over a thousand fish species, almost all of which are unique to the lake. Its significance in the field of evolution has been likened to that of the Galapagos Islands. An estimated nine percent of 458 species are at risk of extinction.
24. Twenty-five percent of Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa, lies within Mozambique. Lake Malawi ranks as the world’s fourth-largest freshwater lake based on volume, ninth-largest in terms of area, and is Africa’s third-largest lake by size and second-deepest.
25. Lake Malawi is sometimes referred to as “the calendar lake” dues to its dimensions: 365 miles long and 52 miles wide.
26. The Bazaruto Archipelago is home to the five islands of the Bazaruto National Park where dolphins along with over 2000 types of fish are protected. There are also loggerhead, leatherback and green turtles and even dugongs.
27. The 31 islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago are home to coral reefs and white sand beaches and are a popular honeymoon destination. In 2017, Lonely Planet named them among their “top 10 honeymoon islands”.
28. Several scenes from the 2006 Oscar-nominated movie Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio were shot in Mozambique.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.