Zimbabwe vs Mozambique

Why people mix them up

Zimbabwe and Mozambique are neighbours in southern Africa with a long shared border, and the Zambezi River flows through both on its way to the Indian Ocean. Both flags are crowded with colour and symbols, both include a star and a triangle at the hoist, and both countries gained independence from colonial rule in the second half of the twentieth century. People often compare them and wonder which one has the coast.

How to tell them apart

• Mozambique has a long Indian Ocean coastline; Zimbabwe is landlocked.
• Mozambique's official language is Portuguese; Zimbabwe has English among its sixteen official languages, with Shona and Ndebele widely spoken.
• Zimbabwe's flag has green, yellow, red and black stripes with a white triangle holding the Zimbabwe Bird; Mozambique's has green, black and yellow stripes with a red triangle bearing a book, a hoe and a rifle.
• The capitals are Harare (Zimbabwe) and Maputo (Mozambique). Maputo lies in the far south, near South Africa and Eswatini.
• Mozambique is the larger country, about 800,000 km², roughly twice the area of Zimbabwe.
• Victoria Falls is on Zimbabwe's border with Zambia; the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi is in Mozambique.

Memory hook

Mozambique is a long coastal strip, like a Mosaic along the sea; Zimbabwe is the landlocked, roughly round country tucked inside its curve.

On the map

Find the southeast coast of Africa, opposite the island of Madagascar. The long country running down that coast, from Tanzania down to South Africa, is Mozambique. Zimbabwe lies directly inland to its west, between Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, partly wrapped by Mozambique on its eastern side. If the country you are tapping faces Madagascar, it is Mozambique.