During the colonial era, Mozambique’s history was written as though it had begun with the arrival of the Portuguese, but the people of this region had developed complex communities based on agriculture, cattle raising, mining, crafts, and trade long before the first small groups of Portuguese settlers arrived in the 16th century.
Guerrilla activity began in 1963 and became so effective by 1973 that Portugal was forced to dispatch 40,000 troops to fight the rebels. A cease-fire was signed in Sept. 1974, and after having been under Portuguese colonial rule for 470 years, Mozambique became independent on June 25, 1975.
One of the early leaders in the struggle for independence from Portuguese rule was the Democratic National Union of Mozambique (Udenamo), whose flag was adopted in November 1961. It had a diagonally divided field of green (for the country’s forested mountains and plains) and black (for the majority population). Its white central disk suggested the rivers and the Indian Ocean, and its central red star indicated the common blood of all struggling for liberation.
After independence from Portugal the flag of the main revolutionary army, the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO), was adopted as the flag of the new country for an interim period until the flag that is seen today was decided on.
For a short period after September 1974, the Frelimo flag flew side by side with the flag of Portugal throughout Mozambique. At the time of independence on June 25, 1975, a new flag was hoisted. This was, in turn, replaced in April 1983 by a modified version of the Frelimo party flag.
The flag of Mozambique is the only one in the world to feature a rifle, as it has an AK47 on it. A contest was held to design a new flag of Mozambique in September 1999 and 119 entries were received. A winner was picked, but a new Mozambique flag has never materialized. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Mozambique flag for the future.
Guerrilla activity began in 1963 and became so effective by 1973 that Portugal was forced to dispatch 40,000 troops to fight the rebels. A cease-fire was signed in Sept. 1974, and after having been under Portuguese colonial rule for 470 years, Mozambique became independent on June 25, 1975.
One of the early leaders in the struggle for independence from Portuguese rule was the Democratic National Union of Mozambique (Udenamo), whose flag was adopted in November 1961. It had a diagonally divided field of green (for the country’s forested mountains and plains) and black (for the majority population). Its white central disk suggested the rivers and the Indian Ocean, and its central red star indicated the common blood of all struggling for liberation.
After independence from Portugal the flag of the main revolutionary army, the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO), was adopted as the flag of the new country for an interim period until the flag that is seen today was decided on.
For a short period after September 1974, the Frelimo flag flew side by side with the flag of Portugal throughout Mozambique. At the time of independence on June 25, 1975, a new flag was hoisted. This was, in turn, replaced in April 1983 by a modified version of the Frelimo party flag.
The flag of Mozambique is the only one in the world to feature a rifle, as it has an AK47 on it. A contest was held to design a new flag of Mozambique in September 1999 and 119 entries were received. A winner was picked, but a new Mozambique flag has never materialized. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Mozambique flag for the future.