Overview
Mozambique is a country in south eastern Africa. It has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean to the east, and has borders with Tanzania to the north, Zambia and Malawi to the north west, Zimbabwe to the west and South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland, until its official renaming in 2018) to the south west.
The country was a Portuguese colony for 470 years, until a protracted civil war brought about independence in 1975. This, in turn, led to the establishment of a Marxist-Leninist state. However, civil war soon broke out between the Marxist regime and anti-communist forces.
The 1990s brought sweeping changes, with a transition from Marxism to a multi-party political system, free elections and a market-based economy.
What it means to be a Christian in Mozambique
Christianity is the largest religion (about 55%) among Mozambique’s population of around 32 million. Around a quarter follow traditional African ethnic religions, with Islam making up about 18% of the population.
During the Marxist era religious freedom suffered in Mozambique. Missionaries were expelled and Christian leaders intimidated and imprisoned. Many churches were destroyed during that period. The country now has freedom of religion but in more recent years there has been a rise in insurgency by Islamist extremist groups, particularly in the north of the country. Groups with links to Islamic State and al-Shabaab have attacked churches and Christian schools, forcing many to flee.
