Mozambique: History and Heritage

History of Mozambique

Discover the heritage and history of Mozambique with our travel tips.

Ancestors of the Khoisan people, the San group of hunters and gatherers, were the first people that inhabited Mozambique. Around 4th century AD, Bantu people migrated through the valley of the Zambezi River into the country. Arab traders settled along the coast in the earlier centuries, before Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama arrived and colonized the country in 1498. The native Mozambican people started a war for independence with its colonial rulers that lasted for 11 years.

In 1975, independence was achieved and a socialist government was established. Unfortunately, a military uprising led to a 17-year civil war, which caused over a million Mozambicans to flee their lands, whilst hundreds of thousands were killed. The country then spiraled into an economic depression. The war had interrupted the country’s agriculture so throughout the 1980s many people went hungry. This was worsened by El Niño, which caused a famine in 1992. Support came from overseas and the country recovered and has begun to develop, even despite recent severe floods and a drought earlier this decade.

Tourism in Mozambique plays an important role today in boosting the country’s economy.