Where is mozambique. Mozambique: a brief description of the country. Fine Arts and Crafts

Useful data for tourists about Mozambique, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Mozambique, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of Mozambique.

Geography of Mozambique

The Republic of Mozambique is a state in southeast Africa, a former Portuguese colony. Mozambique is washed by the Indian Ocean in the east, borders Tanzania in the north, Malawi and Zambia in the northeast, Zimbabwe in the west, and Swaziland and South Africa in the south. A member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries.

45% of the territory is occupied by the coastal lowland. Low mountains (10% of the territory) are located in the northwest. The highest point is Mt. Binga (2437 m).

State

State structure

Mozambique is a republic. The head of state is the president. Parliament is the unicameral Assembly of the Republic.

Language

Official language: Portuguese

Apart from Portuguese, English is also used (especially in the capital). The most widely spoken local languages ​​are Imakua, Chinyanja, Chishona and Shangaan.

Religion

Up to 60% of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs, the rest are Catholic Christians (30%) and Muslims (10%).

Currency

International name: MZM

One metical equals 100 centavos. In circulation there are denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 meticals, coins of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos, 1, 2, 5 and 10 meticals.

US dollars and South African rands are readily accepted at any point of sale. In the south it is possible to pay a large number of things and services in rands.

The best place for currency exchange - private exchange offices in Maputo that offer Better conditions than banks. Exchanging money on the street is not safe for a reason high level crime, mostly fraud.

The use of credit cards and traveler's checks is almost impossible throughout the country.

MOZAMBIQUE

(Republic of Mozambique)

General information

Geographical position. Mozambique is a country in southeastern Africa. It borders Tanzania to the north and Tanzania to the south and southwest. South Africa and Swaziland, in the west with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the east it is washed by the Mozambique Strait.

Square. The territory of Mozambique occupies 799,380 sq. km.

shitty cities, Administrative division. The capital of Mozambique is Maputo. The largest cities: Maputo (1098 thousand people), Beira (300 thousand people), Nampula (203 thousand people). Administrative-territorial division of the country: 10 provinces.

Political system

Mozambique Republic. The head of state and government is the president. The legislature is the unicameral Assembly of the Republic.

Relief. Two-fifths of the country's territory is occupied by coastal plains. In the center of the country there are several plateaus, reaching highest point 2,436 m (Mount Binga) close to western border. The Namuli mountain range in the north of the country rises to a mark of 2,419 m. In the northeast lies the Angonia plateau.

Geological structure and minerals. The bowels of the country contain reserves of coal, titanium, iron ores, bauxite, copper.

Climate. The climate of Mozambique is tropical. In summer average monthly temperature is about +27°С, in winter about +20°С. The rainy season lasts from April to October.

Inland waters. Numerous rivers of the country originate in the mountains in the west and flow into the Mozambique Channel. main river is Zambezi, and the largest are Ruvuma, Savi and Limpopo. On the territory of the country lies also part of Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi).

Soils and vegetation. About 20% of the country's territory is covered with forests. Dense jungles grow in the river valleys.

Animal world. Among the animals stand out zebra, bull, rhinoceros, giraffe, lion, elephant.

Population and language

The population of Mozambique is about 18.641 million people, the average population density is about 23 people per 1 sq. km. km. Most of the population lives in coastal areas along the Zambezi River and on the Angonia Plateau. Ethnic groups: Ma Kua Lomwe 47%, Tsonga 23%, Malawi, Shona, Yao. Languages: Portuguese (official), Makua, Malawi, Shona, Tsonga, Swahili.

Religion

Pagans - 60%, Christians - 30%, Muslims - 10%.

Brief historical outline

Before in East Africa the Portuguese arrived in 1498, and the Zenj city-states occupied the coast. In the XVI century. the coast of modern Mozambique almost completely fell under the rule of Portugal. By the 17th century the slave trade led to the complete decline of the Mutapa empire, the most powerful among the Bantu states. The colonization of the country took place gradually. In the XX century. colonization policy remained virtually unchanged and industry in Mozambique did not develop.

June 25, 1975 Mozambique gained independence. For 15 years after that, the country went Civil War, further weakening the already not very developed economy of the country.

Brief economic essay

Mozambique is an agricultural country. Cotton, sugar cane, coconut palm, tobacco, coffee, corn, cassava, groundnuts, sorghum, etc. are cultivated. Animal husbandry. Fishing. Mining of coal, bauxites, copper, tantalum and iron ores. Enterprises for the processing of agricultural raw materials. Logging. Exports: shrimp, cashew nuts, cotton, sugar, timber.

Currency unit- metical.

A Brief Outline of Culture

Art and architecture. Maputo. Museum of Natural History. Tete. Catholic Cathedral 1563

Mozambique is Portuguese traditions plus African flavor, multiplied by amazing nature and a lot of famous sights. The capital of Maputo is a city of contrasts, National parks, beaches and islands - all about Mozambique: map, tours, photos.

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Mozambique is one of the most ancient states on Earth, where life was in full swing already about two million years ago. This is a country amazing nature(both terrestrial and underwater), rich fauna, ancient cities and gorgeous beaches. Over the past 20 years, Mozambique has begun to confidently get out of the post-war crisis, and attract more and more attention from tourists. First of all - the rich, who love comfort and exoticism, and secondly - the backpackers who save on everything, who are not afraid of the comfort of a bed for five bucks.

Time difference with Moscow

− 1 hour

• with Kaliningrad

• with Samara

• with Yekaterinburg

• with Omsk

• with Krasnoyarsk

• with Irkutsk

• with Yakutsk

• with Vladivostok

• with Severo-Kurilsk

• with Kamchatka

How to get to Mozambique

Most international flights to Mozambique connect at Johannesburg Airport (South Africa), although there are direct flights from Maputo to Swaziland and Zimbabwe, as well as to Tanzania, Kenya and Portugal. For example, Kenya Airways, Swazi Express Airways and TAP Portugal fly directly to Maputo from Durban, Swaziland, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Nairobi and Lisbon.

It is most convenient for Russians to get here by Qatar Airways (via Doha) or Lufthansa (via Frankfurt) to Johannesburg, and from there by South African Airways or Linhas Aereas de Moçambique to Maputo.

South African Airways and Linhas Aereas de Moçambique fly to Pemba several times a day from Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. They say that the local carrier Air Corridor promises to launch several more direct international flights from the capital of Mozambique in the near future.

From passengers departing international flight, an airport tax of 10-20 USD is charged depending on the airline, for domestic flights the fee is ~5 USD.

Search flights to Mozambique

Visa to Mozambique

Russian citizens need a visa to visit Mozambique. In addition, you should purchase travel medical insurance in advance, without which traveling around Africa is simply unreasonable.

Customs

The import of foreign currency is not limited, a declaration is required for amounts over 5000 USD. Import and export of the national currency is prohibited.

Duty-free import is allowed for persons over 18 years of age: up to 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 gr. tobacco; wine - up to 2.5 liters, spirits - up to 1 liter, up to 50 ml of perfume or 250 ml of eau de toilette, medicines - within the limits of personal needs, gifts in the amount of not more than 100 USD.

It is forbidden to import drugs, weapons and ammunition, gold, platinum and silver in bars, plates or coins without the permission of the country's bank, artisanal spirits, as well as photographs, graphics, printed matter and video materials "obscene or directed against the Republic of Mozambique or dignity Mozambican people." The export of ivory and ivory products is prohibited.

Tourist safety in Mozambique

Despite the fact that in the country for a long time the civil war continued, the people of Mozambique are very welcoming and friendly to tourists. There is a risk of various types of hepatitis and dysentery in the country, so upon arrival, you must strictly observe the simplest rules of hygiene: do not drink unboiled water and use personal hygiene products. Vaccination is not required, but dengue fever vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis are recommended.

Spending holidays in Mozambique, by all means visit the capital of this state - Maputo. The capital of Mozambique is port city located on the shore in the bay, bearing the same name.

Maputo is considered the most beautiful, however, having a not very good location.

The capital of Mozambique dates back to 1781, when a Portuguese fortress appeared on the local tropical swamps. Now on the site of the fortress there is a fort bearing the name of the Virgin. Several centuries ago, Maputo was a picturesque and interesting city which attracted many travelers. Unfortunately, after the hostilities on its territory, the capital of Mozambique lost its former attractiveness, and its appearance became rather repulsive. Today, Maputo is actively restored.

As for the population of the city, most of it belongs to the Bantu people. Also, quite a lot of representatives of the Tsonga, Ngoni and Makua ethnic groups live here. But, in addition to Africans, in the capital of Mozambique, you can often see people from Asia and Portugal. More than half of the inhabitants of Maputo are adherents of local rituals and cults. Catholics make up approximately 35% of the population of the capital, and Muslims - about 15%. Portuguese is the official language, but Everyday life the languages ​​of local African peoples and ethnic groups are also widely used.

The city can be divided into Upper and the city is located by the sea, both buildings of the beginning of the 20th century and quite modern urban buildings are located here. In the Upper City, you can see many hotels, mansions and various local attractions.

Maputo's most interesting sights include the train station and the Natural History Museum. The station, built at the beginning of the 20th century, was designed by Eiffel himself. Recently, the station underwent extensive renovations, after which it began to look like a palace, the vaults of which are crowned by a huge, richly decorated dome. The Museum of History boasts entertaining exhibits representing archaeological finds dating back to the time of the emergence of man. In addition, the museum has interesting exhibits that tell about the resources and nature of Mozambique.

The capital of Mozambique boasts the most picturesque botanical garden where you can enjoy beautiful nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a while. Maputo is a unique harmonious combination of a wide variety of cultures: Portuguese, Indian and Chinese. This diversity could not but affect local cuisine. Apart from traditional dishes inherent in each of these cultures, here you can taste delicious Arabic dishes, as well as seafood for every taste.

IN Lately Mozambique, whose capital is famous for its gorgeous beaches and exotic, attracts more and more tourists from all over the world.

Imagine a frozen ocean without a single wave, a huge moon illuminating everything around for kilometers, an endless deserted sandy beach, crowns of coconut palms and tens of thousands of sea crabs swarming in the shallows after low tide. These places are for connoisseurs natural nature, there is no need for evening dresses like in Mauritius. But here it is easy to find a place for solitude, go behind a sand dune and be one on one with the ocean, sunbathe and swim. We will not even talk about fishing, diving and sea Mozambican cuisine. Marlins, sailfish and local king prawns out of competition.

Geographical position: Mozambique is located in southeast Africa opposite the island of Madagascar. In the north it borders with Tanzania, in the south and southwest - with South Africa and Swaziland, in the west - with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the east it is washed by the waters of the Mozambique Channel. The territory of Mozambique extends along the coast indian ocean approximately 3000 km. Coastline in the north it is dissected by small bays, the shores are low, but rocky. To the south, the shores are low, swampy in places. There are natural harbors: Beira, Maputo, Nacala, Pemba. Two-fifths of the country's territory is occupied by coastal plains. There are several plateaus in the center of the country, reaching the highest point of 2436 m (Mount Binga) near the western border. The Namuli mountain range in the north of the country rises to 2419 m. In the northeast lies the Angonia plateau. In the northern - wider region lies the Mozambique Plateau, descending in steps to the east to a narrow coastal lowland (up to 30 km wide). To the south, the lowland expands to 400 km, occupying a total of 44% of the entire area of ​​the country. The total area of ​​the country is 802 thousand square meters. km.

Capital: Maputo. The largest city Mozambique, located in the south of the country, on the eastern shore of Maputo Bay, at the mouth of the Tembe River. Major port on the Indian Ocean economic life concentrated in the harbor area. Officially, the population is about 1.3 million people, but in reality it significantly exceeds the indicated figure due to the large number of slums and other illegal buildings.

Language: Portuguese ( official language). English is also used in communication (especially in the capital). The most commonly spoken local languages ​​are Imakua, Chinyanja, Chishona and Shangaan.

Religion: According to the 1997 census, Mozambicans identify themselves as belonging to the following faiths: non-religious (maybe many in this group retain traditional beliefs) - 24.25%, Catholics - 24.2%, Muslims - 17.8%, non-Catholic Christians (mostly Protestants) - 11.45%; (Assemblies of God, Methodists, Anglicans, Nazarenes, Adventists), syncretic cults (a mixture of different religions, for example, combining elements of Christianity and traditional African beliefs) - 18.7%, others - 3.6%.

Time: The time difference in Mozambique is -2 hours (relative to Moscow time). The entire territory of the country is in the same time zone. The country does not implement summer/winter time, so the time difference remains the same throughout the year.

Climate: The climate of Mozambique in the north is close to equatorial (+25-28 C, precipitation 1300-1500 mm per year), in the south - tropical trade winds (+20-22 C, precipitation 500-1000 mm per year). The wet season lasts from November to April-May. Droughts and destructive tropical cyclones are frequent. The best time to visit the country is from May to November, during the cooler and less rainy winter months. You can also travel during the rainy season, but closer to March, some roads are heavily washed out, especially in the center and south of the country. To watch wild animals in Mozambique come in August-September, for birds - from December to April.

Currency: Metical (MZN), equal to 100 centavos. In circulation there are denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 meticals, as well as coins of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos and 1, 2, 5 and 10 meticals. $1 is equal to approximately 30 meticals. It is better to change money in private exchange offices in Maputo (better rate) or in banks (safer, high commission). You should forget about exchanging money on the street right away - it is extremely unsafe. The use of credit cards and traveler's checks is difficult throughout the country, and even impossible in the provinces. Banking hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-11:15 and 15:00-16:30. Almost all shops and souvenir shops are happy to accept not only the national currency, but also US dollars and South African rands (in the south they are especially loved).

Mains voltage and socket type: 220/240 V, AC frequency - 50 Hz; plug sockets usually have two sockets (European standard, an adapter is not needed), but three sockets can also be found (an adapter for Russian plugs is needed).

Customs: The import of foreign currency into Mozambique is not limited (the declaration is required for amounts over 5 thousand US dollars). Import and export of the national currency is prohibited. Duty-free import is allowed: cigarettes - up to 400 pieces, or cigars - 50 pieces, or tobacco - 250 g, wine - up to 5 liters, spirits - up to 1 liter, perfumes and medicines - within the limits of personal needs, new goods on no more than 100 US dollars. It is forbidden to import drugs, weapons and ammunition for them, pyrotechnics, gold, platinum and silver in bars, plates or coins without the permission of the country's bank, artisanal liquor, as well as photographs, graphics, printed materials and video materials "obscene content or directed against the Republic of Mozambique or the dignity of the Mozambican people".

The export of ivory and ivory products, food products is prohibited if the conditions for their storage are not provided along the route.

Population and culture: The population of Mozambique in 2007 was 20,366,795. The country's population is unevenly distributed. Most of the population lives in coastal areas, along the Zambezi River and on the Angonia Plateau. 98% of the population of Mozambique are peoples language family Bantu. The most numerous people are the Makua people (more than 50%) living in the north of the country. In the south, on the border with South Africa, the Tsonga (about 25%) are settled. Malawi (about 13%) and Yao (more than 3%) live along Lake Nyasa, in the center - Shona (about 6%), in the northeast - Makonde. There are also Swahili, Zulu, which are much smaller in number. The country is inhabited by immigrants from Asia (Indians make up 0.08% of the population), as well as mulattoes. The number of people of European nationality has greatly decreased (from 2% to 0.06%) after Mozambique gained independence. Ethnic composition: blacks 99.66%, mulattoes 0.2%, Indians 0.08%, whites 0.06%.

Due to the large number of different ethnic groups living in the country, the culture of Mozambique has developed over time into a very rich and diverse one. Many of the rituals, customs, and traditions of the peoples of Mozambique originated from different tribes and religions. Traditionally, the peoples of Mozambique believed in animism, so appropriate animistic rituals are practiced in the country. Wood carving and sculpture making are the two main traditional art forms in Mozambique. They are especially practiced among the Makonde peoples. Another popular art form is the making of masks called "family trees". Music and dances are part of the rituals of the peoples of the country. In particular, animistic rituals are accompanied by music and dance. Portuguese music has left a strong mark on the country's folk music. A very popular musical form is the marrabenta, which is mainly dance music.

Kitchen: The Portuguese left a mark not only in the culture and religion of the country, but also in national cuisine Mozambique. Mixed with traditional African dishes, it is quite a mouth-watering and tempting concoction, especially on the fish menu. It is worth trying Piri-Piri sauce - the African analogue of the hottest chili. Paozinho are pork or beef rolls served with semi-sweet bread. Matapa is a fish dish, usually crab or shrimp, cooked with Casave leaves and rice. Camarao National shrimp marinated in piri-piri sauce, garlic, onion, lemon and vinegar. And finally, kakana (Kakana) is a bitter local vegetable. Another of the local dishes is goulash, which is added with broken dried fish, fried in oil and mixed with chicken, potatoes, onions, chili and water.

Popular local beers 2M (pronounced "doish-em"), Laurentina Clara and Manica, as well as varieties from neighboring African countries: Castle or Windhoek. Strong alcohol, like gin or vodka, is inexpensive and sold everywhere. You can try the local vodka porridge (cashu), which is made from cashews, has a sour taste and is said to have a good effect on male libido.

Tips: In Mozambique, it is customary to tip at a restaurant about 10% of the total order. Porters are given a "tip" of about 0.5 USD per piece of luggage, driver or guide: 1-2 USD per day.

Souvenirs: In local markets you can buy all kinds of crafts: female and male figures and sculptural groups made from a single piece of wood, ritual wands with anthropomorphic heads, spoons decorated with ornamental carvings and human figures, elegant clay vessels with a white ornament in the form of a zigzag ribbon, smoking pipes , mitete - boxes for medicinal potions and tobacco with stylized drawings on the lid and mortars with carved figures of a person, intended for grinding potions. Also interesting are the wooden carved headrests of the karanga and the famous ceramics of the Shona people - huge vessels for storing water or grain, covered with pieces of clay and resembling boulder stones. In Mozambique, everything that does not have a price tag is subject to bargaining. It should also be borne in mind that, with the exception of large shops and hotels, no one will give change to a tourist from a banknote of 500 MZN and above. So it's worth changing in advance small money at banks or money changers.

Air travel: Most international flights to Mozambique connect at Johannesburg Airport (South Africa), although there are direct flights from Maputo to Swaziland and Zimbabwe, as well as to Tanzania, Kenya and Portugal. For example, Kenya Airways, Swazi Express Airways and TAP Portugal fly directly to Maputo from Durban, Swaziland, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Nairobi and Lisbon. It is most convenient for Russians to get here by Qatar Airways (via Doha) or Lufthansa (via Frankfurt) to Johannesburg, and from there by South African Airways or Linhas Aereas de Mocambique to Maputo. South African Airways and Linhas Aereas de Mocambique fly to Pemba several times a day from Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi.