1498 - Portugal explorer, Vasco de Gama, reached the coast of Mozambique. When he arrived there, he saw that many Arab trading settlements had existed along the coast for several centuries. Not thrilled with this, the Portuguese would try to spread Catholicism to the people living on Mozambique and later would start to kill off those who followed Arab traditions.
1580 - Around this time in Spain, the crown of Portugal was combined with the crown of Spain. This caused Portuguese power to decline in their colonies, so the coastal settlements owned by Portugal fell into a ruinous condition. Over time, this would cause devastating effects on Mozambique because they would have no true, organized government for almost 300 years.
1842 - Portugal outlaws slave trade from Mozambique, but clandestine trade continues for decades. In fact, trade in slaves was carried on until 1877. Portugal supplied slaves for Arabia and the Ottomans between several native ports of call.
1891 - During this year, the Portuguese shifted the administration of much of the country to a large private company, under a charter granting sovereign rights for 50 years to the Mozambique Channel. It was under the British that the cotton concessionary system was set up, so intense periods of starvation and poverty quickly followed.
1962 - In 1962, exiled activists opposed to Portuguese colonial power meet in Tanzania to form Mozambique Liberation Front - FRELIMO - headed by Eduardo Mondlane. This same year the FRELIMO initiated an armed campaign against Portuguese colonial rule.
1975 - Mozambique becomes independent from Portuguese rule. FRELIMO begins to rule under a single-party system with leader Samora Machel as president.
1976 - RENAMO - an anti-FRELIMO resistance group - is set up by white Rhodesian officers as clashes with Frelimo forces escalate and Mozambique imposes economic sanctions against Rhodesia. It does not even take a year for Mozambique to stay out of war. Just after following the war from Portugal, Mozambique enters into a civil war for government power.
1990 - A new constitution is adopted under the FRELIMO party, which makes Mozambique a multiparty state, with periodic elections, and guaranteed democratic rights.
2000 - November - 82 inmates die at prison in north, many of them RENAMO supporters rounded up after election riots. Preliminary report suggests asphyxiation owing to overcrowding as cause. We see much debate and violence amongst the country still between the two parties.
2005 - FRELIMO's Armando Guebuza is inaugurated as president after defeating his main rival, Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, in November's presidential poll. The RENAMO party would argue saying the election was rigged, but international observers say it was free and fair.
1580 - Around this time in Spain, the crown of Portugal was combined with the crown of Spain. This caused Portuguese power to decline in their colonies, so the coastal settlements owned by Portugal fell into a ruinous condition. Over time, this would cause devastating effects on Mozambique because they would have no true, organized government for almost 300 years.
1842 - Portugal outlaws slave trade from Mozambique, but clandestine trade continues for decades. In fact, trade in slaves was carried on until 1877. Portugal supplied slaves for Arabia and the Ottomans between several native ports of call.
1891 - During this year, the Portuguese shifted the administration of much of the country to a large private company, under a charter granting sovereign rights for 50 years to the Mozambique Channel. It was under the British that the cotton concessionary system was set up, so intense periods of starvation and poverty quickly followed.
1962 - In 1962, exiled activists opposed to Portuguese colonial power meet in Tanzania to form Mozambique Liberation Front - FRELIMO - headed by Eduardo Mondlane. This same year the FRELIMO initiated an armed campaign against Portuguese colonial rule.
1975 - Mozambique becomes independent from Portuguese rule. FRELIMO begins to rule under a single-party system with leader Samora Machel as president.
1976 - RENAMO - an anti-FRELIMO resistance group - is set up by white Rhodesian officers as clashes with Frelimo forces escalate and Mozambique imposes economic sanctions against Rhodesia. It does not even take a year for Mozambique to stay out of war. Just after following the war from Portugal, Mozambique enters into a civil war for government power.
1990 - A new constitution is adopted under the FRELIMO party, which makes Mozambique a multiparty state, with periodic elections, and guaranteed democratic rights.
2000 - November - 82 inmates die at prison in north, many of them RENAMO supporters rounded up after election riots. Preliminary report suggests asphyxiation owing to overcrowding as cause. We see much debate and violence amongst the country still between the two parties.
2005 - FRELIMO's Armando Guebuza is inaugurated as president after defeating his main rival, Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, in November's presidential poll. The RENAMO party would argue saying the election was rigged, but international observers say it was free and fair.