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. Around the 11th century, the Shona empire developed between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.
4. 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.
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. 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.
8. Mozambique is also the only one-word country that includes all five vowels in its name.
9. Mozambique’s flag has green, black, yellow and narrow white stripes, and a red triangle featuring a yellow star, an open book and a crossed hoe and rifle. Green represents the land, white peace, black the African continent, yellow the country’s minerals, and red the struggle for independence. The rifle signifies defence and vigilance, the hoe agriculture, the book education, and the star Marxism.
10. The flag is one of only two national flags that features a firearm, the other being Guatemala.
11. Mozambique is a poor country and one of the world’s least developed. In 2024, it ranked 184th out of 194 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI).
12. 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.
13. Mozambique is also among the world’s hungriest countries. In 2023, Mozambique is ranked 113th out of 125 countries with available data. With a score of 30.5, Mozambique faces a “serious” hunger situation.
14. In 1498, famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama became the first European to visit Mozambique.
15. From the 16th century onwards, Portugal began colonising the region turning the area into a major slave-trading centre during the 18th and 19th centuries.
16. In 1975, following over 10 years of guerilla war for independence and a 1974 military coup in Portugal, Mozambique finally became an independent country.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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 now has more than 650 elephants now.
21. 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.
22. Mozambique is one of the Commonwealth members without historic ties to the United Kingdom. Other countries include Rwanda, Gabon and Togo.
23. Mozambique has a history of severe flooding, which regularly sees hundreds of people killed and thousands displacing.
24. Most 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.
25. 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 9% of 458 species are at risk of extinction.
26. 25% 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.
27. Lake Malawi is sometimes referred to as “the calendar lake” dues to its dimensions: 365 miles long and 52 miles wide.
28. 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.
29. 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”.
30. 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. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.