History & Culture
Useful Information
The history of Mozambique is similar to that of many Sub Saharan countries that were dominated by European powers. The original occupants of Mozambique were the San hunter-gatherers, who settled here beginning in 200BC. Over time, various Bantu groups migrating from the north came and displaced the San. These pastoralists settled between 200 and 1000 AD, and had a more domesticated existence; thus, they thrived and their numbers grew. The first outsiders to take an interest in the region were the Swahili Arabs, who arrived in the 6th century AD. They were traders who established trading ports by the coast, and were eventually followed by the Portugese settlers.
