The sovereign state is separated from the Comoros , Mayotte and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. Between the first and fifth centuries AD, Bantu -speaking peoples migrated to present-day Mozambique from farther north and west. Northern Mozambique lies within the monsoon trade winds of the Indian Ocean. Between the 7th and 11th centuries, a series of Swahili port towns developed here, which contributed to the development of a distinct Swahili culture and language.
In the late medieval period, these towns were frequented by traders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and India. The voyage of Vasco da Gama in marked the arrival of the Portuguese , who began a gradual process of colonisation and settlement in After over four centuries of Portuguese rule , Mozambique gained independence in , becoming the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter.
After only two years of independence, the country descended into an intense and protracted civil war lasting from to In , Mozambique held its first multiparty elections, and has since remained a relatively stable presidential republic , although it still faces a low-intensity insurgency. Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources.
The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing and aluminium and petroleum production. The tourism sector is also expanding.
South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment , while Belgium , Brazil , Portugal and Spain are also among the country's most important economic partners. Since , Mozambique's annual average GDP growth has been among the world's highest. However, the country is still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world, [12] ranking low in GDP per capita , human development , measures of inequality and average life expectancy.
