Geography and people
Located on the southeastern coast of Africa, Mozambique has over 1,400 miles of coastline. Lagoons, coral reefs and islands run along the coast while a large, dry plateau dominates the rest of the landscape.
Shortly after gaining independence from Portugal in 1975 it became caught up in a 16 year civil war, which displaced thousands of people from their land and forced many to become reliant upon foreign food aid. Since the peace agreement in 1992 ended the civil war the country has made progress in many areas. However problems still remain, in particular regarding the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The weather is tropical with the rainy season from October to March. The dry season runs from April to September.
Natural resources include coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower and graphite.
Mozambique has a variety of ethnic groups, with the Makhuwa in the north, the Sena in the Zambezi valley and the Tsonga in the south. The people primarily speak local dialects and use Portuguese as a second language. English is used in schools and in business.
Population
Life expectancy
Literacy rate
Access to safe water
Average annual income
School enrollment
Our Achievements in Mozambique
World Vision began work in Mozambique as a response to the 1983 civil war and drought of 1984. Since then, some of World Vision’s major accomplishments include:
Food security
Distributing agricultural supplies to those affected by war and drought and training farmers how to increase crop production and maintain soil fertility during the 1980s and 1990s.
Health
Providing preventive healthcare, including immunisations, to vulnerable groups and improving sanitation facilities and access to clean water during the 1980s and 1990s.
Recovery after natural disasters
Providing rescue operation assistance, food and shelter to survivors of the devastating floods in 2000.
Food security
Improving food security and natural resource management, promoting greater government assistance to farmers and increasing food production since 2000.
