|
Mozambique is a country in Eastern Africa that has the Indian
Ocean lying on its eastern side. It is bordered by Tanzania in
the north, and going anticlockwise by Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
South Africa and Swaziland. The country became independent from
Portugal on June 25, 1975 following a long and bitter struggle
between the Portuguese armed forces and FRELIMO. A civil war
followed between FRELIMO and RENAMO until the early 1990s. The
country has a very long coastline of warm tropical water and
pristine white coral sands, and there is a reef that stretches
along the entire coast that is a Mecca for scuba divers. Several
newly built holiday resort villages have opened up over the last
few years.
Mozambique was originally a Portuguese colony, trading posts
having been established there from as early as 1500, although
Arab settlements and slave trading posts had been operating
there for several centuries before that date. The official
currency of Mozambique is the Metical, with one US $ equal to
about 25 Meticals. US dollars, South African rands and Euros are
widely accepted throughout the country. Since peace was
established in the mid 1990s the country has slowly started
pulling itself together economically. Inflation was reduced from
70% in 1994 to 5% in 1998 - 99, and many tourist spots are now
opening up along the Indian Ocean coastline. The economy is now
expanding at between 7 and 10% per year. The population of
Mozambique is 19½ million.
Imports have always been greater than exports, though the ratio
has steadily been improving. The recent building of an aluminum
smelter, Mozal, that commenced operation in the year 2000, is
currently helping the trade balance. Mozambique’s exports
include cashews, sea foods, copra, citrus fruits, cotton, tea,
and sugar. Most of these industries have had to build themselves
up from scratch since the mid 1990s. Travelling to Mozambique is
relatively easy, though unless you have a South African passport
you will need to get a visa. You can travel to Mozambique by
land, sea or air. There are regular buses that run from
Johannesburg, Durban and Nelspruit and from other neighbouring
countries. Roads within the country are generally in a poor
condition, and on many of them you would need a 4 x 4 to be sure
of reaching your destination.
It is worthwhile taking a few precautions before traveling to
Mozambique. Malaria is widespread, and the old remedies of
Chloroquine and Paludrine are largely ineffective, so it’s worth
seeing your doctor before traveling there. Get your vaccine
shots before you arrive in the country, and if you think you may
need further shots while in Mozambique, you are advised to take
new needles with you as a precaution. The incidence of HIV is
extremely high – be warned. You are advised not to drink the tap
water – there is plenty of good bottled water available in
shops.
|
|
