Portuguese Mozambicans
Encyclopedia
Portuguese Mozambicans are Mozambican
-born descendants of Portuguese settlers
.
and two other PALOP nations (Angola
and Guinea-Bissau
) to bring black
slaves to Portugal
before bringing them to work for their plantations in their Latin America
n province
, the present-named Brazil
, in the 14th century. The first permanent Portuguese communities in the region were established in the 16th century. The whole region
was divided into prazos (agricultural estates
), to be lived by Portuguese
settler
families in the 17th century. Mozambique
was declared a Portuguese province
by the 19th century. By the early 20th century, the mainland government permitted more white emigration and settlement to the region, and Mozambique had 370,000 Portuguese settlers, who improved its economy, by the 1960s. It was during this time that António de Oliveira Salazar
led Portugal, in which several thousands of Portuguese citizens fled to other countries, especially neighboring Rhodesia
and South Africa
as well as Brazil
and the United States
. Blacks and some mestiços and whites revolted against Portuguese rule in 1974. The return to liberal democracy
in Portugal led to the independence of its overseas colonies in 1975. Large numbers of Portuguese residents emigrated shortly after, most of them to Portugal, where they were called retornados, while others moved to neighboring Malawi
, Zimbabwe
, or South Africa
, and/or Brazil and the United States. Most notable legacy of Portuguese Mozambican settlers in South Africa is Nando's
, created in 1987, which incorporated influences from former Portuguese settlers from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg
, after Mozambique's independence in 1975. Among the departed Portuguese civilians, many were allowed to take with them only a single suitcase and $150 (150 escudos
), with all household materials left in their respective houses. All of the remaining Portuguese settlers were given by the government a 3-month decision to choose Mozambican citizenship or to go away, and they chose to be Mozambican citizens even before their decision for 3 months. Thousands more Portuguese would leave during the subsequent civil war
, most of these fleeing to South Africa, Swaziland
, or Portugal.
When the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries was founded in 1996, many Portuguese and Portuguese Brazilians arrived for economic and educational aid to Mozambique. They have helped increase Portuguese-language fluency especially in remote rural places and improved the economy, as the metical
has a large value converted from the Euro
. Many among them have adopted the country as their permanent home. Many more Portuguese settlers returned from Portugal, it is estimated by the Mozambican embassy that about 6,000 returned.
and lingua franca
of Mozambique. Their dialect called Mozambican Portuguese
is closer to Standard European Portuguese
than Brazilian dialects
. Among them speak one of main Bantu languages
(like Xitsonga
, Makhuwa, and Ndau
dialect of Shona
) as second languages. Many educated Portuguese Mozambicans speak English
, as it is an international lingua franca and Mozambique is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations
.
belonging to the Roman Catholic Church
.
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
-born descendants of Portuguese settlers
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
.
History
Portuguese explorers turned to present-day MozambiqueMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and two other PALOP nations (Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
) to bring black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
slaves to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
before bringing them to work for their plantations in their Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, the present-named Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, in the 14th century. The first permanent Portuguese communities in the region were established in the 16th century. The whole region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
was divided into prazos (agricultural estates
Estate in land
An estate in land is an interest in real property that is or may become possessory.This should be distinguished from an "estate" as used in reference to an area of land, and "estate" as used to refer to property in general....
), to be lived by Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
families in the 17th century. Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
was declared a Portuguese province
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
by the 19th century. By the early 20th century, the mainland government permitted more white emigration and settlement to the region, and Mozambique had 370,000 Portuguese settlers, who improved its economy, by the 1960s. It was during this time that António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
led Portugal, in which several thousands of Portuguese citizens fled to other countries, especially neighboring Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
as well as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Blacks and some mestiços and whites revolted against Portuguese rule in 1974. The return to liberal democracy
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in Portugal led to the independence of its overseas colonies in 1975. Large numbers of Portuguese residents emigrated shortly after, most of them to Portugal, where they were called retornados, while others moved to neighboring Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, or South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and/or Brazil and the United States. Most notable legacy of Portuguese Mozambican settlers in South Africa is Nando's
Nando's
Nando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
, created in 1987, which incorporated influences from former Portuguese settlers from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, after Mozambique's independence in 1975. Among the departed Portuguese civilians, many were allowed to take with them only a single suitcase and $150 (150 escudos
Mozambican escudo
The escudo was the currency of Mozambique from 1914 until 1980. It was subdivided into 100 centavos.-History:The escudo replaced the real at a rate of 1 escudo = 1000 réis. It was equal in value to the Portuguese escudo until 1977. Initially, Mozambique had its own paper money but used Portuguese...
), with all household materials left in their respective houses. All of the remaining Portuguese settlers were given by the government a 3-month decision to choose Mozambican citizenship or to go away, and they chose to be Mozambican citizens even before their decision for 3 months. Thousands more Portuguese would leave during the subsequent civil war
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
, most of these fleeing to South Africa, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, or Portugal.
When the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries was founded in 1996, many Portuguese and Portuguese Brazilians arrived for economic and educational aid to Mozambique. They have helped increase Portuguese-language fluency especially in remote rural places and improved the economy, as the metical
Mozambican metical
The metical is the currency of Mozambique, abbreviated with the symbol MZN or MTn. It is nominally divided into 100 centavos.-First metical :...
has a large value converted from the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
. Many among them have adopted the country as their permanent home. Many more Portuguese settlers returned from Portugal, it is estimated by the Mozambican embassy that about 6,000 returned.
Language
Portuguese is the official languageOfficial language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
and lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
of Mozambique. Their dialect called Mozambican Portuguese
Mozambican Portuguese
Mozambican Portuguese refers to the varieties of Portuguese spoken in Mozambique. It is the official language and, according to the most recent census, is spoken by approximately 40% of the population, mostly as a lingua franca, with only 6.5% speaking it natively...
is closer to Standard European Portuguese
European Portuguese
European Portuguese refers to the variety of Portuguese spoken in continental Portugal, as well as the Azores and Madeira islands...
than Brazilian dialects
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
. Among them speak one of main Bantu languages
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
(like Xitsonga
Tsonga language
The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people, also known as the Shangaan.- Classification :Tsonga belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo languages...
, Makhuwa, and Ndau
Ndau language
Ndau is one of the Shona dialects. It is spoken by people from the region of Chipinge...
dialect of Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
) as second languages. Many educated Portuguese Mozambicans speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, as it is an international lingua franca and Mozambique is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
.
Religion
Most Portuguese Mozambicans are ChristiansChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
belonging to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Notable Portuguese Mozambicans
- Mia CoutoMia CoutoAntónio Emílio Leite Couto , better known as Mia Couto, is a world-renowned Mozambican writer.-Early years:Couto was born in the city of Beira, Mozambique’s second largest city, where he was also raised and schooled. He is the son of Portuguese emigrants who moved to the former Portuguese colony in...
, well-known Mozambican writer - Tasha de VasconcelosTasha de VasconcelosSandra de Vasconcelos Mota e Cunha, aka or better known under the name, Tasha de Vasconcelos is a supermodel, actress and notable humanitarian.- Childhood :Sandra Tasha is born in Beira, in Mozambique, her family was forced to flee from 2 revolutions...
, a Mozambican-Canadian model - Carlos CardosoCarlos CardosoCarlos Cardoso was a Mozambican journalist. His murder in 2000 followed his newspaper's investigation into corruption in the privatisation of Mozambique's biggest bank.-Early life:...
, murdered Mozambican journalist - João PauloJoão PauloJoão Paulo is a Portuguese given name, the equivalent of "John Paul" in English. It also may be refer to:*João Paulo Daniel , Brazilian footballer*Sérgio Luís Donizetti , aka João Paulo, former Brazilian footballer...
- Joao RibeiroJoão RibeiroJoão Ribeiro may refer to:*João da Rocha Ribeiro, Portuguese football midfielder*João Paulo Pinto Ribeiro, Portuguese football forward*João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Brazilian author*Ponta João Ribeiro, cape located in the island of São Vicente...
- Amavel Pinto
- Otelo Saraiva de CarvalhoOtelo Saraiva de CarvalhoOtelo Nuno Romão Saraiva de Carvalho, GCL , formerly a Portuguese military officer, was the chief strategist of the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon.-Biography:...
, a Mozambican-Portuguese leader of the Carnation RevolutionCarnation RevolutionThe Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, later convicted of terrorism charges, currently an African arms trader
See also
- Portuguese AfricansPortuguese AfricansPortuguese Africans are Portuguese people born or permanently settled in Africa .The largest Portuguese African population lives in South Africa , while there are important minorities living in Namibia and the Portuguese-speaking African countries Portuguese Africans are Portuguese people born or...
- Portuguese AngolansPortuguese AngolansPortuguese Angolan is a person of Portuguese descent born or permanently living in Angola.-History:The first Portuguese settlements in Angola were established in the 16th century. Some Portuguese settlers married native Africans resulting in a mixed-race population...
- Portuguese-South AfricansPortuguese-South Africans-History:The Portuguese explored the coasts of South Africa in the late 15th century, and nominally claimed them as their own with the erecting of padrões...
- Portuguese Angolans
- Portuguese Americans
- Portuguese Brazilian