Like many countries in Africa, Mozambique faces a number of challenges despite its semi-tropical climate and prime geographical location on the east coast of Africa. Chief among those are the very high levels of illiteracy and HIV among its 18 million inhabitants, whose average life expectancy is just 37.

Similar to the trajectory followed by many of the other African countries, Mozambique suffered a devastating 16-year civil war following its independence. It only ended in 1994.