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MOZAMBIQUE OVERLANDAmong Mozambique's attractions are beautiful beaches, fascinating cultures and rich artistic and musical traditions. Mozambique enjoys an almost carnival atmosphere, and its culture is a heady mix of Portuguese and Arab African. There is lots to see, including world-renowned beaches, World Heritage sites, funky colonial architecture and colorful local culture. Mozambique also boasts some of the best scuba diving in Africa. MUST DO'S:
MORE INFO ON MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambicans are putting the past behind them and are rebuilding their country at a remarkable pace. It's now possible to travel all over Mozambique and its an awesome country. People are vibrant and friendly, the cost line and beaches are simply breathtaking and if you are into seafood - you could not wish for anything more: giant prawns, crabs, lobster and fish are in abundance - washed down with excellent local beers. GEOGRAPHY The most important rivers are the Zambezi flowing southeast across the centre of Mozambique into the Indian Ocean, the Limpopo in the south, the Save in the middle and the Lugfenda in the north. The most important lake is the navigable Lake Niassa. In the river valleys and deltas, the soil is rich and fertile, but southern and central Mozambique has poor and sandy soil, and parts of the interior are dry. HISTORY The first written record of Mozambique dates from the 10th century AD, when Arab writer al-Mas'udi mentioned the town of Sofala (south of present-day Beira) and the iron-using people called the Wak Wak who lived there. Long before that time, perhaps as early as the 3rd century AD, Bantu-speaking peoples from central Africa migrated to the region, where they grew crops and raised cattle. Their settlements took on increasing complexity. By the 10th century, settlements featured stone enclosures, and their inhabitants played an important role in intra-African trade to the west. Over the next several centuries, traders from northeastern Africa and later from the Middle East and Asia arrived by sea, prompting ports along the Mozambican coast to flourish. Sofala, among the most prominent ports, developed as a trade center for gold from the interior. Commercial settlements also developed to the north of Sofala at Angoche, Moçambique Island, the Qirimba Islands, and the mouth of the Zambezi. The beads, cloth, and other goods brought by Arab and Asian traders attracted caravans of agrarian-based traders from inland Mozambique. They in turn distributed the goods to the African interior. A struggle for control of this trade developed, and it was soon won by the cattle-owning chiefs of the Karanga in the south and the Makua in the north. Slave trading was also common throughout this period, in both the coastal and interior regions. CULTURE There are 16 major ethnic groups in Mozambique. The most significant are the Makua (the largest group) of the northern provinces; the Makonde (also of the north), famous for their carvings; the Sena, from the central provinces; and the Shanagaan, who dominate the southern provinces. There is also a small population of native Portuguese (less than 1%), plus small numbers of European and Asian residents. Each of the major ethnic groups in Mozambique has its own language. The common tongue and official language is Portuguese. Since teenagers and young adults had their education interrupted by the civil war, Portuguese tends to be spoken only by older people and the very young. English isn't spoken much outside of the tourist areas of the south. Like the other countries of Southern Africa, animist religions have existed in Mozambique for thousands of years, and many people retain their traditional beliefs, sometimes alongside an organised religion. Arab traders introduced Islam to the coastal regions beginning in the 8th century, and Portuguese Catholic missionaries brought over Christianity in the 16th century. Today, about a quarter of the population is Muslim, mostly in the northern provinces and coastal areas; about a fifth are Catholic; and most of the rest are animists. CLIMATE The cooler, dry season runs from April/May to October/November. Daytime maximums during this time are around 24 deg C to 27 deg C on the coast but cooler are inland. The rainy season is hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 27 deg C to 31 deg C on the coast. ACTIVITIES Mozambique has great potential for anybody keen on wild animals or hiking. Beach and water based activities such as diving or snorkelling are excellent, and the best places to go down are the beaches at Wimbi, in the north, or Tofu and Barra or the Bazaruto Archipelago, which has great reefs. Bird watching is popular in Mozambique, especially in the southern part of the country. The Maputo Elephant reserve, located on the ocean, is also a good spot for bird spotting. You will have no trouble finding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingos wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the floor of the crater. Within the steep walls of the crater you will find considerable movement of animals and you may well come across local Maasai tribes people, who have grazing rights here, tending their cattle. TRAVEL TIPS:
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