For more information see the Mozambique profile.

The Republic of Mozambique is located on the southeastern coast of Africa. This unhappy land is the world's poorest country. Climatic extremes of flooding and drought have further impoverished the desperate population.

Mozambique became independent from Portugal in 1975 as a Marxist- Leninist state after a long and bitter war. Independence was followed by widespread rural devastation and a brutal guerrilla war. This, along with with international pressure encouraged the government to end its flirtation with Marxism in 1988. A multi-party democracy was instituted in 1990.

A steady lessening of restrictions since 1990 has led to Mozambique having religious freedom for the first time in its history. Mozambique has the largest concentration of unreached peoples in Africa south of the equator.