Portuguese Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa were the common terms by which Mozambique was designated during the period in which it was a Portuguese overseas province. Portuguese Mozambique origina
The Island of Mozambique was first occupied by Portuguese explorers in the late 15th century. They quickly established a fort there, and with time a community sprang up and achieved importance as port of call, missionary base and a trading centre. The island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Painting by Johannes Vingboons of Sofala, c. 1665
View of Lourenço Marques, ca. 1905
Ponta Vermelha Palace, former residence of the Portuguese governor and current presidential palace of Mozambique
The Mozambican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front and Portugal. The war officially started on 25 September 1964, and ended with a
Samora Machel reviewing FRELIMO troops
A Portuguese propaganda flier, distributed from aeroplanes: "FRELIMO lied! You suffer".
The Aérospatiale Alouette III, one of the most common helicopters operating in Africa, but a rare sight in the Mozambican conflict
Eduardo Mondlane in the 1960s.