Mozambique became independent from which European country?

Correct answer: Portugal

Correct answer: B, Portugal. Mozambique was a Portuguese colony in southeastern Africa and became independent in 1975 after a long anti-colonial struggle led by the Mozambique Liberation Front, commonly called FRELIMO. The question tests the connection between an African country and its former European colonial ruler. Portugal, not Britain, Spain, or the Netherlands, controlled Mozambique during the colonial period. A is wrong because Britain ruled several other African territories but not Mozambique. B is correct because Portuguese colonial rule ended when Mozambique became independent. C is wrong because Spain was not Mozambique’s colonial ruler. D is wrong because the Netherlands also did not control Mozambique. Remember that identifying the former colonial power helps explain the language, political history, and independence movement of a country, but colonial history should not be reduced only to language. Memory cue: Mozambique begins with Portuguese colonial history; independence came in 1975.