Mozambique and economic growth. FRELIMO took control of the territory after 10 years of sporadic warfare, as well as Portugal's own return to democracy after the fall of the authoritarian Estado Novo regime the Carnation Revolution of April 1974, and the failed coup of 25 November 1975. Within a year, most of the 250,000 Portuguese in Mozambique had left—some expelled by the government of the nearly independent territory, some fleeing in fear—and Mozambique became independent from Portugal on 25 June 1975. A law had been passed on the initiative of the relatively unknown Armando Guebuza of the FRELIMO party, ordering the
Agriculture in Mozambique 120,000 tons. The potential catch is estimated at 500,000 tons of fish. South African trawlers are allowed to fish in Mozambican waters in return for providing a portion of their catch to Mozambique. The European Community, Italy, and Japan have each entered into agreements designed to help develop the fishing industry. Thick forest covers the wet regions, where there are fertile soils, but the drier interior, which has sandy or rocky soils, supports only a thin savannah vegetation. Extensive stands of hardwood, such as ebony, flourish throughout the country. Wood production is from natural forests and is almost entirely consumed