The idea of Africa seems to at once intimidate, scare and intrigue Westerners. Only when you go there do you realise it isn't at all how you think it is. Firstly, it's an entire continent, and not a homogenous, arid landscape full of armed guerrillas starving children. In reality, its variety is greater than, say, Europe. The other commonly held feeling is that it's somehow empty. Devoid of meaningful culture and anything resembling 'Western Civilisation'. Africa has to be the most overlooked, and underrated, continent on the planet.
Take Mozambique, for example. Yes, the country has seen more than its fair share of bloodshed. But it has a history of human occupation stretching far back into prehistory; there are over 10 ethnic groups who call it home; and a multitude of languages and religions are active within it.
Its history can be vaguely summarised as follows. Roughly 2000 years ago the farming Bantu peoples moved in to what is now modern Mozambique, and interacted with the various hunter-gatherer groups in the area. Later, the Swahili in particular set up trading ports on the Northern Coast, and traded a great deal with Arabs. This led to a certain Arabic influence in some coastal areas, something which still survives today. By this stage what was to become Mozambique was a collection of small and large kingdoms, tribes and villages; all basically autonomous. Some areas even came under the influence of the kingdom of Great Zimbabwe, with its magnificent eponymous centre now situated in the somewhat troubled eponymous modern country.
Things changed when the Portuguese came to town in the 16th Century. They were rapidly followed by other Europeans, most notably the British, Dutch and Germans; who all proceeded to colonise anything that moved. Cue centuries of oppression and exploitation of the locals for European financial gain. You all know the story.
By the late 60s and early 70s, with Independence movements trending across Southern Africa, Mozambicans had had enough. The Marxist revolutionary group Frelimo was founded, and after much guerilla warfare with the Portuguese, eventually forged independence for the country after a Marxist coup happened in Portugal itself. Frelimo embarked on many beneficial social programs - literacy rates soared - and gave support to anti-apartheid and Zimbabwean rebel forces. This didn't go down with White South Africa, of course. So they, and the White Rhodesians next door created and funded a rebel force called Renamo to weaken Frelimo. Unfortunately they succeeded, and the country was plunged into a dire civil war that only ended in 1992. All the hopes and dreams of Frelimo's initial plans were dashed, and horrible atrocities were committed by both sides in the conflict. Over a million Mozambicans died.
After the end of the war, a multi-party democratic system was instigated. Frelimo (for obvious reasons) has been voted into power in every election, with Renamo consistently losing. This continues to this day. The only notable change in Frelimo's policy was a step away from Marxism, probably due to financial reasons. They must have realised that much of the country's wealth, especially in sectors like tourism, remained untapped. What with globalist economic structures being what they are (pro-Western and very capitalist), they had little choice but to promote their country to multinational corporations and Western tourists. As a consequence, you occasionally rather amusing sights, like the one below:
Take Mozambique, for example. Yes, the country has seen more than its fair share of bloodshed. But it has a history of human occupation stretching far back into prehistory; there are over 10 ethnic groups who call it home; and a multitude of languages and religions are active within it.
Its history can be vaguely summarised as follows. Roughly 2000 years ago the farming Bantu peoples moved in to what is now modern Mozambique, and interacted with the various hunter-gatherer groups in the area. Later, the Swahili in particular set up trading ports on the Northern Coast, and traded a great deal with Arabs. This led to a certain Arabic influence in some coastal areas, something which still survives today. By this stage what was to become Mozambique was a collection of small and large kingdoms, tribes and villages; all basically autonomous. Some areas even came under the influence of the kingdom of Great Zimbabwe, with its magnificent eponymous centre now situated in the somewhat troubled eponymous modern country.
Things changed when the Portuguese came to town in the 16th Century. They were rapidly followed by other Europeans, most notably the British, Dutch and Germans; who all proceeded to colonise anything that moved. Cue centuries of oppression and exploitation of the locals for European financial gain. You all know the story.
By the late 60s and early 70s, with Independence movements trending across Southern Africa, Mozambicans had had enough. The Marxist revolutionary group Frelimo was founded, and after much guerilla warfare with the Portuguese, eventually forged independence for the country after a Marxist coup happened in Portugal itself. Frelimo embarked on many beneficial social programs - literacy rates soared - and gave support to anti-apartheid and Zimbabwean rebel forces. This didn't go down with White South Africa, of course. So they, and the White Rhodesians next door created and funded a rebel force called Renamo to weaken Frelimo. Unfortunately they succeeded, and the country was plunged into a dire civil war that only ended in 1992. All the hopes and dreams of Frelimo's initial plans were dashed, and horrible atrocities were committed by both sides in the conflict. Over a million Mozambicans died.
After the end of the war, a multi-party democratic system was instigated. Frelimo (for obvious reasons) has been voted into power in every election, with Renamo consistently losing. This continues to this day. The only notable change in Frelimo's policy was a step away from Marxism, probably due to financial reasons. They must have realised that much of the country's wealth, especially in sectors like tourism, remained untapped. What with globalist economic structures being what they are (pro-Western and very capitalist), they had little choice but to promote their country to multinational corporations and Western tourists. As a consequence, you occasionally rather amusing sights, like the one below:
I think someone is spinning in his grave.
And people say colonialism is a thing of the past...
