Timeline: Mozambique

A chronology of key events:

3rd century - Iron Age Bantu-speaking tribes move into area from west-central Africa.

Maputo: One of East Africa's main ports Formerly called Lourenco Marques after a Portuguese trader Population: 1 million

11th century - Shona empire develops between Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.

1498 - Portuguese expedition led by explorer Vasco da Gama drops anchor off Mozambican coast.

16-17th centuries - Portuguese venture into interior. Following military campaigns, colonists set up trading posts and mining enterprises and parcel-out land to European settlers.

18th-19th centuries - Mozambique becomes major slave-trading centre.

Slave trade banned

1842 - Portugal outlaws slave trade from Mozambique, but clandestine trade continues for decades.

1878 - Portugal leases large tracts of territory to trading companies, who use conscript African labour to further their interests and build infrastructure.

1891 - Portugal and Britain define Mozambique's western and southern borders.

Samora Machel steered Mozambique towards Marxism Born in 1933 Became leader of left-wing Frelimo guerrilla movement in 1968 President from 1975 Killed in plane crash in 1986 2006: SA in fresh Machel death probe

1902 - Lourenco Marques becomes colonial capital.

1932 - Portugal breaks up trading companies and imposes direct rule over colony.

1950s-60s - Colonial economy thrives, attracting thousands of new Portuguese settlers to Mozambique.

1962 - exiled activists opposed to Portuguese colonial power meet in Tanzania to form Mozambique Liberation Front - Frelimo - headed by Eduardo Mondlane.

1964 - Frelimo forces begin war of independence. Guerrilla tactics frustrate Portuguese and Frelimo take control of much of north.

1974 - Military coup in Portugal. New government supports autonomy for colonies; start of departure of 250,000 Portuguese inhabitants.

1974 - Portugal and Frelimo sign Lusaka Accord; transitional government is established.

Independence

1975 - Mozambique becomes independent. Frelimo rules under single-party system with leader Samora Machel as president.

HIV-Aids graffiti in Maputo: The virus has cut life expectancy

1976 - Lourenco Marques is renamed Maputo.

1976 - Renamo - an anti-Frelimo resistance group - is set up by white Rhodesian officers as clashes with Frelimo forces escalate and Mozambique imposes economic sanctions against Rhodesia.

1977 - Frelimo adopts Marxist-Leninist doctrine.

1980 - Renamo is supported by South Africa after collapse of Rhodesian regime.

1984 - Under Nkomati Accord, Mozambique drops support for African National Congress (ANC) in return for South African withdrawal of backing for Renamo. Short-lived ceasefire fails and Renamo continues its offensives.

1986 - President Machel is killed in air crash, Joaquim Chissano becomes president.

1989 - Frelimo renounces Marxist-Leninist doctrine.

Multi-party politics

1990 - Government amends the constitution to allow a multi-party political system. Initial talks take place between government and Renamo.

Mozambique bore the brunt of devastating floods in 2000 World Bank estimated in 2001 that 700 were killed, 491,000 displaced Reconstruction costs estimated at $430m On This Day 2000: Appeal for Mozambique flood victims Special report: Mozambique floods 2000

1992 - President Chissano and Renamo leader Afonso Dhaklama sign peace deal in Rome.

1994 - Chissano is reelected.

1995 - Mozambique becomes Commonwealth member.

1999 December - Chissano defeats Renamo's Dhlakama in presidential elections.

2000 February - Devastating floods sweep through south of country, forcing tens of thousands to flee and leaving trail of destruction.

2000 November - More then 40 people killed in rioting at Renamo protests against 1999 elections. Renamo claims poll was rigged; international observers say election was free and fair.

2000 November - 82 inmates die at prison in north, many of them Renamo supporters rounded up after election riots. Preliminary report suggests asphyxiation owing to overcrowding as cause.

Joaquim Chissano stepped down after 18 years in power Born in Gaza province, 1939 Came to power in 1986, succeeding Frelimo head Samora Machel Oversaw transition from Marxism to free market; signed 1992 deal to end civil war Profile: Joaquim Chissano

2001 March - Flooding in Zambezi Valley displaces around 70,000 people. Two upstream dams forced to open flood gates, releasing huge volumes of water into river.

2002 June - Frelimo chooses independence struggle veteran Armando Guebuza as candidate for 2004 presidential elections; Chissano had declined to run for third term.

2002 November - Two defendants in murder trial allege that son of President Chissano is linked to 2000 killing of journalist Carlos Cardoso. Nymphine Chissano denies knowledge of murder.

2003 November - Brazil promises to build plant in Mozambique to produce anti-retroviral drugs for HIV-Aids sufferers.

Guebuza president

2005 February - Frelimo's Armando Guebuza inaugurated as president after defeating his main rival, Afonso Dhlakama of Renamo, in November's presidential poll.

2005 October - Work starts on a long-planned "Unity Bridge" over the Ruvuma river, intended to link Mozambique and neighbouring Tanzania.

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (r) promised interest-free loans

2006 February - An earthquake hits the central province of Manica, killing two.

2006 July - The World Bank cancels most of Mozambique's debt under a plan promoted by the G8 nations.

2007 February - Chinese President Hu Jintao visits, promises interest-free loans for agriculture, health and education.

Thousands left homeless by flooding.

2007 March - Three days of mourning are declared after nearly 100 people are killed in an explosion at an arms depot in the capital.

2008 January - More than 50,000 people displaced by flooding along the Zambezi valley.

2008 May - Government begins voluntary repatriation of citizens in the wake of xenophobic violence in South Africa targeting African migrants. Thousands of Mozambican legal workers in South Africa are said to have fled the country.

2009 January - UN says 350,000 people in Mozambique are in need of food aid as a result of poor harvests caused by poor rainfall.

2009 October - The government announces a $500m loan from the European Union and Danish and Dutch governments to build a railway line to link the coal-rich northern Moatize mines to the port of Nacala by 2015.

2009 28 October - General elections.

2009 November - Preliminary election results indicate that ruling Frelimo party is heading for a landslide victory.