Mozambique

In brief

Mozambique is a country in East Africa. Its capital is Maputo. With 35.6 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 46th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 801,590 km². It shares land borders with Eswatini, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

GDP per capita stands at $627 (2025), 189th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 63.8 years (2024). 37% of the population lives in cities.

History of Mozambique

The coast was frequented by Swahili and Arab traders when Vasco da Gama stopped there in 1498. A Portuguese colony for more than four centuries, Mozambique won independence on 25 June 1975 after a war led by FRELIMO. A civil war against RENAMO followed until 1992, killing about a million people. Since 2017 a jihadist insurgency has hit the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Geography of Mozambique

Mozambique runs along the Mozambique Channel for about 2,500 km. The Zambezi crosses it, held back by the Cahora Bassa Dam. Broad coastal plains rise to plateaus in the west.

Map of Mozambique

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Flag of Mozambique

The flag of Mozambique is red, white, green, yellow and black. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Yellow28%
• Green27%
• Black21%
• Red18%
• White6%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Green, black and yellow separated by white, with a red triangle bearing a yellow star, a book, a hoe and an assault rifle. It is the only national flag showing a modern weapon, a symbol of the armed struggle for independence.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Mozambique” and “Flag of Mozambique”.

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Fact file

Economy and society