[moh-zam-beek, -zuh
m-] 
| 1. | Formerly, Portuguese East Africa. a republic in SE Africa: formerly an overseas province of Portugal; gained independence in 1975. 18,165,476; 297,731 sq. mi. (771,123 sq. km). Capital: Maputo. |
| 2. | a seaport on an island just off the NE coast of this republic. 55,000. |
Mo·zam·bique (mō'zəm-bēk', -zām-)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of southeast Africa. Inhabited by Bantu peoples from the 1st century A.D., the coast was settled by Arab traders beginning in the 8th century. The Portuguese colonized the area in the early 16th century and governed it as part of their India holdings until 1752, when a separate administrative unit was formed. It became an overseas province in 1951 and, after a decade of civil war, gained its independence in 1975. Maputo is the capital and the largest city. Population: 20,900,000. Mo'zam·bi'can (-bē'kən) adj. & n. |
Republic in southeastern Africa on the Indian Ocean, bordered by South Africa to the south, Swaziland to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania to the north. It was a possession of Portugal from 1505 until 1975. Its capital and largest city is Maputo.