Mozambique is so vast that it must be broken up into three regions; the North the Zambesi river basin, and the south. The Zambesi River cuts Mozambique in half and is the heart of the land. The numerous other rivers are important to the economy and it's livelihood as well. It is because of the rivers and the fertility of the soil, that 80% of the population are in agriculture. The countryside is also densely forested and has been exploited for local building material. This country has everything from high mountains, to low rivers, to beautiful beaches. It is truly underdeveloped and has yet to reveal it's most mysterious secrets.

Portugal wanted to settle in Mozambique because of their lustrous desire for the spice trade. They also enjoyed the profits that came from ivory, gold and slaves. They could have conquered the indigene peoples, but by not colonizing enough people, they were unable to retain control. The will of the indigenes peoples would prevail despite the abuse and exploitation experienced. The development of three major companies designed to develop land and natural resources , as well as deal with the radical Prazos, resulted in the horrific accounts of rape and murder. After years of opposition to Portuguese control the Africans found the strength to unite. They would no longer succumb to the irrational and immoral Portuguese rule. The beginning of the fight for freedom started with the uniting of several refugee political organizations. In 1960, MANU was formed in east Africa to join TANU and KANU and in1962 these three groups united to form FRELIMO ( Front for the liberation of Mozambique). The President was a very popular southern Maozambiquen known as Eduardo Do Chivambu Mondlane. The first armed guerilla attack on the Portuguese was in September of 1964. They would prove to be successful throughout, despite the various dissentions amongst internals of FRELIMO, as well as the problems with the northern indigenes helping the Portuguese. FRELIMO got most of its support from African sources and also indulged in the generosity of the United States.

Now, the difficulty would be in creating a new Nation. Upon receiving independence, the leaders were flushed with issues concerning illiteracy, poverty, racial and ethnic problems, as well as the issue of liberating this third world country. It's two main goals after the war were the forging of national unity and the mobilization of forces. In the mean time, FRELIMO had decided on taking steps in the direction of a socialist society.

The second phase of the war revolved around the famous Cahora Bassa project. This project involves the completion of a giant hydroelectric plant on the Zambesi river in the Tete District. It is also an asset that the Portuguese wanted to capitalize on. FRELIMO recognized the dam as a symbol of Portuguese determination to stay in Mozambique, and subsequently focused their efforts to slow construction and stop European immigration. In 1972 they had controlled the areas ou

Some common words found in the essay are:
Republic Mozambique, Slave Trade, Zambesi River, Portuguese Mozambique, Tete District, Prazos Portuguese, Rhodesia FRELIMO, Sofala Mogadishu, Malawi Mozambique, Mozambique Ten, zambesi river, slave trade, frelimo support, portuguese mozambique, spice trade, southern rhodesia,
Approximate Word count = 1606
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)