ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the historical background of Mozambique and the role of the state throughout different phases. It calls the attention to the relevance of understanding how Mozambique’s historical (pre)colonial path shaped the dynamics of agrarian change before independence and how that influenced the success or failure of post-colonial economic and agrarian policies. This will allow a better understanding of how history contributed to the current dynamics of extractivism observed in the country, what contribution did the role of the state have, the nature of exchange relations and how the triad – land, labour and nature – was shaped. The chapter moreover presents a brief analysis of the current characteristics of Mozambique as a predominantly extractive economy. This analysis was mainly based on historical material regarding the colonial and post-independence period, combined with macroeconomic secondary data analysis.
