Mozambique

Portuguese is the official language of Mozambique, but is spoken by only half of the population (12% as a first language, and 38% as a second). It is the language of government and instruction in most schools, but there are 20 other languages spoken at a local level. Most of the local language are from the Bantu family, including Makhuwa in the north, Sena in the south-central, and Tsonga in the south.

Along the border with Tanzania, the most common language is Yao. In the north, Makonde and Swahili are widely spoken, and in the coastal zone near the island of Madagascar, Mwani is spoken. Large populations in the northwest, along Lake Malawi, speak Chewa, a similar language that is official in Malawi.

In the southern parts of the country several languages can be found including Tswa, both along the coast and more inland, as well as Zulu and Swazi along the South African border .