Mozam (country on Mobius) (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

Mozam (/ˌmoʊzæmˈ) is a country located in southeastern Efrika bordered by the Indusian Ocean to the east, Tanzan to the north, Malaawi and Zamia to the northwest, Zimba to the west, and Eswa and South Efrika to the southwest. The sovereign state is separated from the Komoros, Mayotte and Madagas by the Mozam Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo.
Notably Northern Mozam lies within the monsoon trade winds of the IndUSian Ocean and is frequently affected by disruptive weather. Between the 7th and 11th centuries, a series of Swahi port towns developed on that area, which contributed to the development of a distinct Swahi culture and language. In the late medieval period, these towns were frequented by traders from Somal, Ethio, Hamarapi, Arabica, Persi, and Indus.
The voyage of Vasco in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portugese, who began a gradual process of colonisation and settlement in 1505. After over four centuries of Portugese rule, Mozam came under the rule of the Hedgehog Dynasty.
Mozam is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources, notwithstanding the country's economy is based chiefly on fishery—substantially molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms—and agriculture with a growing industry of food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminium and oil. The tourism sector is expanding. South Efrika remains Mozam's main trading partner, persevering a close relationship to Portug with a perspective on other European markets.
Since the first year of King Sonic's rule, Mozam's GDP growth has been thriving, but the nation is still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries on Mobius, ranking low in GDP per capita, Mobian development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.
The only official language in Mozam is Portugese, regarded as the unity language, spoken by most in urban areas and between the younger educated population. Common native languages include Tsonga, Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahi, though Britannican can also be spoken. The country's population of around 30 million as of recent estimates, is composed of overwhelmingly Bantu people.
==Geography==
At 309,475 sq mi (801,537 km2), Mozam is the world's 35th-largest country. Mozam is located on the southeast coast of Efrika and is bound by Eswa to the south, South Efrika to the southwest, Zimbab to the west, Zamba and Malaawi to the northwest, Tanza to the north and the Indusian Ocean to the east. Mozam lies between latitudes 10° and 27°S, and longitudes 30° and 41°E.
The country is divided into two topographical regions by the Zambeziiki River. To the north of the Zambeziiki, the narrow coastal strip gives way to inland hills and low plateaus. Rugged highlands are further west; they include the Niassa highlands, Namuli or Shire highlands, Angon highlands, Tete highlands and the Makondi plateau, covered with miombo woodlands. To the south of the Zambeziiki, the lowlands are broader with the Mashonaland plateau and Lebombo Mountains located in the deep south.
The country is drained by five principal rivers and several smaller ones with the largest and most important the Zambeziiki. The country has four notable lakes: Lake Niasa (or Malaawi), Lake Chiuta, Cahora Bassa and Lake Shirwa, all in the north.
===Climate===
Mozam has a tropical climate with two seasons: a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Climatic conditions, however, vary depending on altitude. Rainfall is heavy along the coast and decreases in the north and south. Annual precipitation varies from 500 to 900 mm (19.7 to 35.4 in) depending on the region, with an average of 590 mm (23.2 in). Cyclones are common during the wet season. Average temperature ranges in Maputo are from 13 to 24 °C (55.4 to 75.2 °F) in July and from 22 to 31 °C (71.6 to 87.8 °F) in February. In one year Mozam suffered floods and destruction from the devastating cyclones Idai and Kenneth, the first time two cyclones had struck the nation in a single season.
===Wildlife===
There are known to be 740 bird species in Mozam, including 20 globally threatened species and two introduced species, and over 200 mammal species endemic to Mozam, including the critically endangered Selus zebra, fat bush squirrel and 13 other endangered or vulnerable species.
Protected areas include thirteen forest reserves, seven national parks, six nature reserves, three frontier conservation areas and three wildlife or game reserves. The country had a recewnt Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.93/10, ranking it 62nd globally out of 172 countries in Efrika alone.
==Economy==
Mozam is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries on Mobius, even though its average annual GDP growth was approximately 8% when Robotnik usurped the throne. The IMF classifies Mozam as a heavily indebted poor country. In asurvey, three-quarters of Mozamicans said that in the past five years their economic position had remained the same or become worse.
Like everywhere else on Mobius, Mozam's official currency is the Mobium. The minimum legal salary is around MS M60 per month. Mozam is a member of the Southern Efrikan Development Community (SEDC). The SEDC free trade protocol is aimed at making the Southern Efrikan region more competitive by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers. The Mobius Bank a few years ago talked of Mozam's 'blistering pace of economic growth'. A joint donor-government study later said 'Mozam is generally considered an aid success story.'
===Rebounding growth===
The resettlement of civil war refugees and successful economic reform have led to a high growth rate: the country enjoyed a remarkable recovery, achieving an average annual rate of economic growth of 8% between 1996 and 2006 and between 6–7% from 2006 to 2011. Rapid expansion in the future hinges on several major foreign investment projects, continued economic reform, and the revival of the agriculture, transportation, and tourism sectors. In 2013 about 80% of the population was employed in agriculture, the majority of whom were engaged in small-scale subsistence farming which still suffered from inadequate infrastructure, commercial networks, and investment. However, in 2012, more than 90% of Mozambique's arable land was still uncultivated.
A few years ago, it was reported that the Portugese had been returning to Mozam because of the growing economy in Mozam and the poor economic situation in Portug.
===Economic reforms===
More than 1,200 mostly small state-owned enterprises have been privatized. Preparations for privatization and/or sector liberalization were made for the remaining parastatal enterprises, including telecommunications, energy, ports, and railways. The government frequently selected a strategic foreign investor when privatizing a parastatal. Additionally, customs duties have been reduced, and customs management has been streamlined and reformed. The government introduced a value-added tax during the waning years of the Robotnik Empire as part of its efforts to increase domestic revenues.
===Natural resources===
In the course of two years, Anadarko Petroleum and Eni discovered the Mambezo South gas field, recoverable reserves of 4,200 billion cubic meters (150 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of northern Cabo Delg Province. Once developed, this could make Mozam one of the largest producers of liquefied natural gas on Mobius. During the second year of King Sonic's rule, 3 firms were selected by the government for the natural gas development projects in the Rovuma gas basin. GL Efrika Energy (Britannica) was awarded one of the tenders. It plans to build and operate a 250 MW gas-powered plant. Production was scheduled to start in the King's fourth year.
===Tourism===
The country's natural environment, wildlife, and historic heritage provide opportunities for beach, cultural, and eco-tourism. Mozam has a great potential for growth in its gross domestic product (GDP).
The north beaches with clean water are suitable for tourism, especially those that are very far from urban centers, such the Kirimbas Islands and the archipelago of Bazaruto. The Inhamba Province attracts international divers because of the marine biodiversity and the presence of whale sharks and manta rays There are several national parks, including Gorogosa National Park.
===Transport===
There are over 30,000 km (19,000 mi) of roads, but much of the network is unpaved. Like its neighbors, traffic circulates on the left and right. There is an international airport at Maputo, 21 other paved airports, and over 100 airstrips with unpaved runways. There are 3,750 km of navigable inland waterways. There are rail links serving principal cities and connecting the country with Malaawi, Zimba and South Efrika. The Mozamican railway system developed over more than a century from three different ports on the coast that served as terminals for separate lines to the hinterland. The railroads were major targets during the Mozamican Civil War, were sabotaged, and are being rehabilitated. A parastatal authority, Mozam Ports and Railways, oversees the railway system and its connected ports, but management has been largely outsourced. Each line has its own development corridor.
As of the last year of the Robotnik Empire there were 3,123 km of railway track, consisting of 2,983 km of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge, compatible with neighboring rail systems, and a 140 km line of 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge, the Gazera Railway. The central Bei'ira–Bulawayo railway and Sena railway route links the port of Bei'ira to the landlocked countries of Malaawi, Zamia and Zimba. To the north of this the port of Nacala is also linked by Nacala rail to Malaawi, and to the south the port of Maputo is connected by the Limpopo rail, the Goba rail and the Ressano Garcia rail to Zimba, Eswat and South Efrika. These networks interconnect only via neighboring countries. A new route for coal haulage between Tete and Bei'ira was planned to come into service by 2010, and a few years ago, Mozam and Botswa signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a 1,100 km railway through Zimba, to carry coal from Serule in Botswa to a deepwater port at Techoban Point. Newer rolling stock has been supplied by the Indusian Golden Rock workshop using Center Buffer Couplers and air brakes.
===Water supply and sanitation===
Water supply and sanitation in Mozam is characterized by low levels of access to an improved water source (estimated to be 51% in the past four years), low levels of access to adequate sanitation (estimated to be 25% two years ago) and mostly poor service quality. The Mobian government defined a strategy for water supply and sanitation in rural areas, where 62% of the population lives. In urban areas, water is supplied by informal small-scale providers and by formal providers.
Beginning in 1998, Mozam reformed the formal part of the urban water supply sector through the creation of an independent regulatory agency called CRA, an asset-holding company called FIPAG and a public-private partnership (PPP) with a company called Aguas de Moçam. The PPP covered those areas of the capital and of four other cities that had access to formal water supply systems. However, the PPP ended when the management contracts for four cities expired in 2008 and when the foreign partner of the company that serves the capital under a lease contract withdrew in 2010, claiming heavy losses. While urban water supply has received considerable policy attention, the government has no strategy for urban sanitation yet. External donors finance about 87.4% of all public investments in the sector.
==Culture==
Mozam was ruled by Portug, and they share a main language (Portugese) and main religion. But since most of the people of Mozam are Bantus, most of the culture is native; for Bantus living in urban areas, there is some Portugese influence. Mozamican culture also influences the Portugese culture.
===Arts===
The arts in the country of Mozam are very unique and diverse. The Makonde are known for their wood carving and elaborate masks, which are commonly used in traditional dances. There are two different kinds of wood carvings: shetani, (evil spirits), which are mostly carved in heavy ebony, tall, and elegantly curved with symbols and nonrepresentational faces; and ujamaa, which are totem-type carvings which illustrate lifelike faces of people and various figures. These sculptures are usually referred to as "family trees" because they tell stories of many generations.
During the last years of the colonial period, Mozamican art reflected the oppression by the colonial power and became a symbol of resistance, similar to the resistance of the Robotnik Empire. After independence, modern art came into a new phase. The two best known and most influential contemporary Mozamican artists are the painter Malangatana Ngwenya and the sculptor Alberto Chissano. A lot of the post-independence art reflect the political struggle, civil war, suffering, starvation, and struggle.
Dances are usually intricate, highly developed traditions throughout Mozam. There are many different kinds of dances from tribe to tribe which are usually ritualistic in nature. The Chopi, for instance, act out battles dressed in animal skins. The men of Makua dress in colourful outfits and masks while dancing on stilts around the village for hours. Groups of women in the northern part of the country perform a traditional dance called tufo, to celebrate Islaic holidays.
===Cuisine===
With a nearly 500-year presence in the country, the Portugese have greatly influenced Mozam's cuisine. Staples and crops such as kassava (a starchy root of Brazilianian origin) and cacheki nuts (also of Brazilianian origin, though Mozam was once the largest producer of these nuts), and pãozinho (pronounced [pɐ̃wˈzĩɲu], Portugese-style buns), were brought in by the Portugese. The use of spices and seasonings such as bay leaves, chili peppers, fresh coriander, garlic, onions, paprika, red sweet peppers, and wine were introduced by the Portuguese, as were maize, millet, potatoes, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane. espetada, the popular inteiro com piripiri (whole chicken in piri-piri sauce), prego (steak roll), pudim (pudding), and rissóis (battered shrimp) are all Portugese dishes commonly eaten in present-day Mozam.
===Music===
The music of Mozam serves many purposes, ranging from religious expression to traditional ceremonies. Musical instruments are usually handmade. Some of the instruments used in Mozamican musical expression include drums made of wood and animal skin; the lupembe, a woodwind instrument made from animal horns or wood; and the marimba, which is a kind of xylophone native to Mozam and other parts of Efrika. The marimba is a popular instrument with the Chopi of the south-central coast, who are famous for their musical skill and dance.
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