The FRELIMO party has been in power in Mozambique since independence from Portugal in 1975. They have been in contact with the RENAMO party since gaining freedom from Portugal. FRELIMO leads the country with Communist beliefs and will continue to do so unless the RENAMO win an election. Right now, Armando Guebuza is president, and the politics of Mozambique take place in a framework of a representative democratic republic. He is trying to turn the country around and has recently taken out a loan to build a railway line from the northern mines to the port of Nacala.
In 1975, Mozambique had just ended their war for independence with Portugal. This means that they were in a lot of debt at this point. Not even a year after the war with Portugal, a civil war erupted within Mozambique which deepened their problems and caused them to gain the title as one of the world’s poorest countries. Recently however, the country has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies. It is expected to become a crucial exporter of coking, thermal coal, and liquefied natural gas. The country’s white sand beaches are also a huge attraction, and fertile soils in the northern and centrals of Mozambique have yielded a varied and abundant agriculture. The great Zambezi River has provided ample water for irrigation and the basis for a regionally important hydroelectric power industry. A lot of progress needs to be done though because most of the land still works the land, and infrastructure nationwide still suffers from colonial neglect, war, and under-investment.
At 2013, the population of Mozambique is at 23.8 million which as increased quite a bit since 1998, where it was at 16.5 million. The average life expectancy for women is 52, while it is 50 for men. Right now, 1.4 million are living with HIV in the country. That is about 1/20th of Mozambique. As of 2008, 54.7% of the population were living in poverty.
In the years immediately following its independence, Mozambique benefited the most from the Soviet Union and its allies because of its stance on Communism. In 1984 though, things began to change. Mozambique joined the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund at this time, so Western aid with the Scandinavians, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, and the European Union became the primary economic, military, and political supporters for Mozambique. In 1994, the country joined the Southern African Development Community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to broaden its base of international support but also to please the sizeable Muslim population in Mozambique. China began to support the struggle of Mozambique’s Marxist-oriented FRELIMO party against Portuguese colonialism back in the 1960s. In 2006, Mozambique became the 13th country to be added to China’s official list of tourism destinations. Relations between the U.S. are good and steadily improving. In 1993, the U.S. aided Mozambique with a significant emergency food assistance in the wake of a sudden drought. They are the largest bilateral donor to the country.
In 1975, Mozambique had just ended their war for independence with Portugal. This means that they were in a lot of debt at this point. Not even a year after the war with Portugal, a civil war erupted within Mozambique which deepened their problems and caused them to gain the title as one of the world’s poorest countries. Recently however, the country has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies. It is expected to become a crucial exporter of coking, thermal coal, and liquefied natural gas. The country’s white sand beaches are also a huge attraction, and fertile soils in the northern and centrals of Mozambique have yielded a varied and abundant agriculture. The great Zambezi River has provided ample water for irrigation and the basis for a regionally important hydroelectric power industry. A lot of progress needs to be done though because most of the land still works the land, and infrastructure nationwide still suffers from colonial neglect, war, and under-investment.
At 2013, the population of Mozambique is at 23.8 million which as increased quite a bit since 1998, where it was at 16.5 million. The average life expectancy for women is 52, while it is 50 for men. Right now, 1.4 million are living with HIV in the country. That is about 1/20th of Mozambique. As of 2008, 54.7% of the population were living in poverty.
In the years immediately following its independence, Mozambique benefited the most from the Soviet Union and its allies because of its stance on Communism. In 1984 though, things began to change. Mozambique joined the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund at this time, so Western aid with the Scandinavians, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, and the European Union became the primary economic, military, and political supporters for Mozambique. In 1994, the country joined the Southern African Development Community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to broaden its base of international support but also to please the sizeable Muslim population in Mozambique. China began to support the struggle of Mozambique’s Marxist-oriented FRELIMO party against Portuguese colonialism back in the 1960s. In 2006, Mozambique became the 13th country to be added to China’s official list of tourism destinations. Relations between the U.S. are good and steadily improving. In 1993, the U.S. aided Mozambique with a significant emergency food assistance in the wake of a sudden drought. They are the largest bilateral donor to the country.