!Mozambique Mozambique is a country, Region - Eastern Africa, Capital - Maputo, Population in 2003 - 18,863,000, Population density - 24, Surface area - 801,590 sq km and Currency - metical. The country is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It is separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. Mozambique was formerly the general name for Portuguese East Africa, the area between Cape Delgado and Delagoa Bay on the mainland, opposite Madagascar and separated by the Rovuma River from German territory in the N.; in the S. it touched British Maputaland, while inland it bordered on British Central and South Africa and the Transvaal; the Zambesi divided it into two. There was 52 miles of railway connect Lorenzo Marques with the Transvaal and the other chief towns were Quilimane, and the then capital MOZAMBIQUE, on an island. It became independent from Portugal in 1975. The coast is low and wet, inland are richly wooded plateaux; the soil is fertile, and minerals abound, but the government is bad, and industry does not develop.