MOZAMBIQUE- A LAND OF SMILES
Mozambique is one of Africa’s upcoming tourist destinations with paranormal offshore islands and dazzling beaches. It is a south eastern African country bordered by Indian Ocean on one side and Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa to the other. Vasco da Gama discovered Mozambique in 1498 and was later colonized by Portugal in 1505. Portuguese sailors stopped on the rich coastline of Mozambique for tropical fruits, seafood and other staples required for the sae journey and it was here that they discovered the hot famous spice known as Peri-Peri. This ribbon shaped country having a long coastline of 2500 kilometers of Indian Ocean became independent in 1975. It was named by the Portuguese after Msumbiji which is the Swahili name of Mozambique Island and port town.
Although Mozambique is 35th largest country of the world, its Human Development Index is one of lowest on earth. The climate here is tropical like many other African countries having two major seasons, dry season from April to September and rainy season from October to March. The coastline experiences heavy rainfall and the temperature vary with altitude. In the past times, there was slavery within Mozambique and humans were traded by African tribal chiefs, Arab traders and the
Portuguese. The British later abolished the slavery in the 19th century and by 20th century; the Portuguese had shifted the administration of Mozambique to large private companies.
ECONOMY
Mozambique is an under developed country and has agriculture based economy. Three quarters of the population is engaged in small scale agriculture and almost 88% of the fertile Mozambique land is till uncultivated. Major exports include cashews, fishsugar, cotton, tea and citrus fruits. New Metical is the official currency and US dollars, euros and South African rand are also widely accepted and used for commercial purposes. International organizations like World Bank and IMF have helped to improve the economy and the rich reserve of precious titanium as natural resource here can play an important role to solve poverty and unemployment in Mozambique. Also many economic reforms have taken place like privatization of large sectors including telecommunication, energy, ports and railways.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Almost half of the population lives in the northern part of Mozambique and the ethnic group Macua is the most dominant. Other groups include Sena, Shona, Tsonga and Tonga. 99.6% of the population comprises of Bantu people with the rest including Indians, White Africans and Euro Africans. Portuguese is the main and official language spoken by 40% of the population. English is also spoken by most educated Mozambicans which is used commonly in schools and businesses as second or third language. Other languages used are Chinese, Swahili, and Sena by different ethnicities. The heath care facilities are not very advanced due to lack of infrastructure and scarcity of doctors. Christianity and Islam are the main religions practised by most of the population. Rest of the population either has no religious beliefs or have other beliefs like Indian-Pakistani or the Shia community in Muslims.
Although Mozambique has been influenced by different colonizers, the local people have been able to largely retain their own indigenous culture mainly based on small scale agriculture. Mozambique is popular for its art in wood sculpture especially the Makonde in northern Mozambique. Tourists can participate to dance in traditional country’s trademark ‘marrabenta’ music. Portuguese colonial and lingual heritage continue to influence the middle and upper class of the society.
MAPUTO
Maputo is a sprawling capital city of Mozambique with a large bustling waterfront and is certainly one of Africa’s most attractive capitals. The city has been popular from the ancient times with tall skyline buildings and cosmopolitan culture. Tourists can relax at the street cafes and enjoy the Mediterranean style architecture with a vibrant cultural scene. The city museum and market are worth seeing and spending time before travelling ahead especially for travelling willing to buy fresh local cashews and chillis from the street side stalls. The most significant landmark of Maputo is the Fort of ‘Nossa Senhora da Conceiao’ depicting the dwelling of the ancient settlers. Central Railway station is another massive building looking more like a palace than a station along with the prying ‘Iron House’ both designed by Gustave Eiffel. Nature lovers can take a tour to Maputo National Reserve situated on Maputo River south of the city where rare species of leopard, antelope, crocodile, hippos, flamingos and jackals can be seen.
ATTRACTIONS
• Inhaca Island
Tourists can take a boat ride and reach this incredible island of wonderful beaches and reefs to laze on white sand beaches and swim in the warm waters of Mozambique coastline. There is even a historic lighthouse and a museum of marine biology to visit.• Ilha de Mozambique
Also known as Mozambique Island, this tiny place is fascinated with colonial Portuguese buildings and mosques along with tiny reed houses among the blossoming palm trees. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its haunting, magical beauty.• Pemba
This lively coastal town is a must visit for its wonderful beaches and coral reefs. There is a large cemetery containing Christian and Muslim graves behind the governor’s mansion. Praia de Wimbi is a stunning place to enjoy the swim and sea breeze at one of many riverside bars and restaurants. Visitors can also visit Pemba’s oldest settlement Paquitequete located on the outskirts of Pemba claims an interesting old town with vibrant atmosphere just before sunset.• Bazaruto Archipelago
This stunning archipelago consisting of five tropical islands is not to miss for its beautiful white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and rich marine life. Tourists can enjoy awesome fishing for marlin, sailfish, swordfish and barracuda here which is known for its game fishing. Water lovers can also go diving and snorkelling with dolphins and dugong (manatee) in the crystal clear waters here.• Gorongosa National Park
This protected national park provides excellent bird watching and wildlife with glimpses of buffaloes, elephants, hippos, zebra and many more. One can also take a safari through this newly revived park and explore the wilderness.• Other National Parks
Mozambique has many more national parks like Quirimbas National Park and Marromeu National Park which is home to a variety of land bound fauna and ideal for hiking. The big five viz. elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and leopards are found here in abundance along with colourful species of birds are attracted from the world over.
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
Tourists can travel from all the neighbouring countries of Mozambique as all borders are open and the road links are in good condition. There are frequent bus services between Maputo and many South African cities and towns in Swaziland. There are also several trains from Johannesburg, Durban and Harare to Mozambique although they are not very reliable and consistent. Reaching by water is difficult as no passenger ships provide any services; however, several cargo ships from America, Europe, Japan and South Africa stop at Maputo and Beira. Reaching Mozambique by air is the most convenient as there are international airports at Maputo, Beira and Nampula catering many international flights. The national carrier is LAM (Linhas Aereas de Mocambique) having regular flights to London. All airports have facilities of car hire, restaurants, post office, shops and café. Taxis and buses are available for getting around in town. Car hire is also possible for travellers who want to enjoy driving on their own. Few domestic flights are available by LAM to all major cities.
The communications facilities are fairly decent with the advancement of technology. Internet facility is available in Maputo and other main cities and the mobile network coverage is good. The postal service takes a week or so to Europe by Airmail. Mozambique does not have any English language newspapers and TV and radio are both state run and private run.
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
There are many colourful seaside restaurants serving chicken and prawns with the renowned Peri- Peri spicy sauce like Miramar and Costa del Sol. Portuguese is the main cuisine available in all restaurants though European can also be found at some places. Zambesi chicken and Piri Piri chiken are the national delicacies enjoyed by all tourists. Wusa which is a stiff maize porridge is also popular along with Matapa (special sauce of ground peanuts and cassava leaves) with rice. This all can be enjoyed with a cold lager as there is no specific national specialty in drinking.
Mozambique offers a variety of accommodation including hotels of international standards which are mainly found in Maputo and Biera having all luxurious facilities. The hotels in smaller towns are generally of a little lower standard. Guest Houses and youth hostels are also available at very cheap rates for travellers who want to rent their private cottage or do not wish to spend much time indoors. Camping is possible at various campsites along the beaches and at Catholic and Protestant missions across the country. There is also one famous rest camp with a restaurant in Gorongosa Game Park.
Mozambique is one of Africa’s rising stars with a buoyant environment, bustling markets and a 2500 kilometres coastline waiting to be explored. For many decades, this country was inaccessible due to guerrilla wars but now it is a worth while journey to visit this place and highly recommended to all.
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