a republic in SE Africa: colonized by the Portuguese from 1505 onwards and a slave-trade centre until 1878; made an overseas province of Portugal in 1951; became an independent republic in 1975; became a member of the Commonwealth in 1995. Official language: Portuguese. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: metical. Capital: Maputo. Pop: 29 668 834 (2017 est). Area: 812 379 sq km (313 661 sq miles)
Portuguese name: Moçambique. Also called (until 1975): Portuguese East Africa
Mozambique in American English
(ˌmoʊzəmˈbik; ˌmoʊzæmˈbik)
country in SE Africa, on Mozambique Channel: formerly a Portuguese territory, it became independent in 1975; member of the Commonwealth: 308,642 sq mi (799,380 sq km); pop. 11,674,000; cap. Maputo