Humanoids have been strutting around Mozambique for over 2 million years, and

This is the Mozambique that greeted Vasco da Gama when he arrived in 1498. His goal was to establish supply points for Portuguese sea routes to India - a job that brought him into conflict with the resident Arab traders. A flourishing trade in gold and ivory persuaded the Portuguese to overcome such adversities. By the mid-1700s, slaves were added to the cargo. Meanwhile, the Portuguese were moving inland and colonising the country in earnest.

By the early 20th century a pattern was established in Mozambique. Rather than developing the country, the Portuguese simply rented out the available resources. This included human labour hired to neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa and Rhodesia, thus removing a large segment of the male labour force. Even more Mozambican men left the country after harsh working conditions were made worse by the rule of Fascist leader Antònio Salazar in Portugal from 1932 to 1968. Salazar introduced cash crops such as cotton and rice and required all males over 15 to work on plantations for half the year, often in chains. Accompanying the rise in cash crops was a drastic drop in food production, leading to widespread famine in the 1940s and 1950s.

To make matters worse, the Portuguese made no pretence of social investment in Mozambique. Of the few schools and hospitals that did exist, most were in the cities and reserved for Portuguese, other whites and privileged African

The Mozambique Liberation Front, or Frelimo, formed in 1962. Led by Eduardo Mondlane, Frelimo sought to completely liberate the country from Portuguese rule. The war lasted over 10 years, effectively ending in 1974 when the fascist regime was overthrown. The independent Republic of Mozambique was proclaimed on 25 June 1975 - and then troubles really began.

The Portuguese pulled out virtually overnight, leaving the country in chaos: lacking skilled professionals and infrastructure, bleeding capital, the economy plummeted. Frelimo, now the governing party, turned to the Communist governments of the Soviet Union and East Germany for help.

By the early 1980s the country was nearly bankrupt. Money was worthless and shops were empty. Compounding this instability were growing tensions between Mozambique and Rhodesia and South Africa, both of which sought to destabilise Mozambique for harbouring bases of their respective independence movements. Rhodesian-trained rebels in Mozambique formed the Mozambique National Resistance, or Renamo, and were eventually taken over by South Africa.

What followed has typically been described as a civil war, but some point out that Renamo was created, trained and supplied wholly by foreign agents. Renamo's aim was the wholesale destruction of Mozambique's social and communications infrastructure and the eventual overthrow of the government. The drought and famine of 1983 brought the country to its knees. Renamo attacked relief trucks and burned grain stores. Frelimo gradually yielded to the pressure and began opening up to the west, which responded with infusions of food.

Relations with South Africa had improved slightly by the late 1980s, but not until Frelimo jettisoned its Marxist ideology in 1990 was the Renamo threat abated. Both sides signed a peace treaty in 1992, officially ending hostilities. Elections in 1994 were surprisingly smooth and fair, resulting in the election of the head of Frelimo, Joaquim Chissano, to the presidency. Mozambique has done much to rebuild itself since then, though landmines, droughts (one as recent as 1998) and cyclones have continued to plague it.

There are 16 major ethnic groups in Mozambique. The most significant are the Makua (the largest group) of the northern provinces; the Makonde (also of the north), famous for their carvings; the Sena, from the central provinces; and the Shanagaan, who dominate the southern provinces. There is also a small population of native Portuguese (less than 1%), plus small numbers of European and Asian residents.

Each of the major ethnic groups in Mozambique has its own language. The common tongue and official language is Portuguese. Since teenagers and young adults had their education interrupted by the civil war, Portuguese tends to be spoken only by older people and the very young. English isn't spoken much outside of the tourist areas of the south.

Like the other countries of Southern Africa, animist religions have existed in Mozambique for thousands of years, and many people retain their traditional beliefs, sometimes alongside an organised religion. Arab traders introduced Islam to the coastal regions beginning in the 8th century, and Portuguese Catholic missionaries brought over Christianity in the 16th century. Today, about a quarter of the population is Muslim, mostly in the northern provinces and coastal areas; about a fifth are Catholic; and most of the rest are animists.

Mozambique has a rich artistic tradition which, incredible as it may seem, continues to thrive after decades of colonial occupation and civil war. Today Mozambique produces some of the finest art in Africa. The sculpture of the Makonde people from the north is recognised as one of Africa's most sophisticated art forms. A number of talented painters have emerged since the 1950s. Probably the most famous is Malangatana, who has exhibited throughout the world. The country is well known for its murals, many of which can be found adorning walls in Maputo. The largest and most famous is near the airport, 95m (310ft) long and reflects many stories and images of the Revolution.

Traditions and stories have been preserved and transmitted orally from generation to generation in Mozambique. The written word has assumed more importance in the 20th century, and nationalist writers such as poet Jose Craveirinha have made the gritty, often tragic realities of the country their subjects. Since independence, a number of writers have emerged, including Mia Couto, whose works include Voices Made Night and The Tale of the Two Who Returned from the Dead.

Traditional music is widely played in Mozambique. The Makonde in the north are noted for their wind instruments, known as lupembe. In the south the Chope musicians play the marimba, a form of xylophone found throughout Southern Africa, and are famous for their marimba orchestras. Modern music flourishes in the cities. Marrabenta is perhaps the most typical Mozambican music - with a light style inspired by traditional rural majika rhythms.