Mozambique Wildlife and Economy

Animals and Plants

Lots of animals in national parks

There are twelve national parks and nature reserves in Mozambique. There are also many beaches on the over 2500 kilometers long coast. Both attract tourists again and again. But Mozambique is far from being as developed for tourism as other South African countries such as Namibia, Botswana or Zimbabwe.

The Gorongosa National Park is located in the Sofala province. Gazelles, lions and warthogs live here, as well as water buffalo, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, zebras and antelopes. Leopards and lions can also be seen.

Crocodiles and hippos can be found in the river regions. Snakes like vipers, pythons or cobras also like to cavort here. Limpopo National Park is located on the border of the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was named after the most important river that also flows through the national park and is called Limpopo.

Savannah, forest and blooming dreams

Dry savannahs predominate in the south of the country. Lots of bushes grow here. The further north you go, the more the forest increases. Especially the east-central areas are covered by forest. Dense forests are located on the Chimoio plateau. Forests and especially mangroves grow on the coast, which are particularly important for the protection of coastal areas.

Economy

Where do people work in Mozambique?

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world. 69 out of 100 people live below the poverty line. Even if the country’s economy is growing, few Mozambicans really benefit from it. There is a wealthy elite in the country who siphon off the most money.

A large part of the people work in agriculture and this is geared towards self-sufficiency. So people grow what they can use themselves. Only a small part of the total area is used for agriculture. In addition to agriculture, fishing is also important on the coast.

Many raw materials are stored in the earth

Mozambique has many raw materials such as marble, iron ore, coal, gold, natural gas, bauxite and titanium. Natural gas was discovered off the Mozambican coast in 2011. But it will still take some time before the money from the production of natural gas really gets into the government’s coffers. The wealth of raw materials is hardly used. Even if you did, the question remains whether the money will not only benefit a few and not the poor in the country. For more articles on Mozambique and Africa, please visit franciscogardening.

The problem with Mozambique is that the products that are exported, such as nuts, crustaceans, sugar or cotton, do not make as much money as the products that are imported. Machines or electronic items that are necessary for the production of goods cost money. And despite agriculture, Mozambique also has to import food such as rice or grain, which could actually be produced in the country itself.

Nevertheless, a lot has changed in Mozambique in recent years. When the terrible civil war ended in 1992, the country became attractive to foreign countries. Even if the economy cannot sustain itself and is still dependent on international aid, some things have nevertheless improved.

Mozambique’s economy is growing now, but it is still very unstable. Many people are not adequately trained to take on more demanding work. The high AIDS rate, especially among the people who would be most important to work in the country, is an additional problem.

People hope for tourism

Unfortunately, the country’s infrastructure is poor. There are few well-developed roads and railway lines. But Mozambique is primarily hoping for tourism. Mozambique is a beautiful country and, like other South African countries, could also attract people from abroad who want to get to know the treasures of the animal world and the nature of the country.

Over 2500 kilometers of coastline with reefs and interesting landscapes are still untapped. Then there are the national parks, in which above all the animal world of the country is protected. However, some improvements are still needed so that tourists can come and leave money in the country. Money that is urgently needed for the expansion of the health and education system.