Quirimbas Archipelago includes the Quilalea Sanctuary and its southern most islands are part of the Quirimbas National Park. And while the area's present day history is closely associated with sustainable development, the archipelago's colonial past was much less than serene. Once an important center for textiles, Arab maritime merchants, who for centuries settled here, found little pleasure in the arrival of the Portuguese. After the sacking on the island of Quirimba in 1522, the Portuguese raised forts on Ibo Island and consolidated their rule. When the Portuguese shifted their attention south, the archipelago's geography dealt the islands another bad hand. For years clandestine slave trade maneuvered freely here.

Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Use online maps to pinpoint your family travel destination and plan your itinerary. Map Mozambique and identify points of interest in Quirimbas Archipelago. Use political and historical maps to enhance a tween or teen's knowledge of the country and turn your adventure into an educational journey. Purchase a map of Mozambique before you depart and mark your path as you travel.

Books are a great way to introduce younger children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. Learn more about Mozambique through guidebooks, novels and historical fiction and embark on a different kind of family journey. Discover age-appropriate children's literature. Get a complete list of Mozambican authors. Find recommended reading lists for adults and kids. Read book reviews from sources other than Amazon and get an 'African' view on Mozambican literature.

Marrabenta, with its distinctive Afro-Latin beat, is the most popular style of modern dance music in Mozambique. But it isn't the only. Discover the wild rhythms of Timbila, wooden xylophones played by the Chopi people of southern Mozambique. Learn about traditional Tofu songs sung by the women of Ilha de Moçambique. Find out about the panpipe music played in the country's far north. And, of course, listen to Mozambique music online.

Read Mozambique newspapers online and brush up on Mozambican current events from politics to economics and sports to entertainment. Get Mozambique news and discover what Mozambicans are reading and gain an understanding of the country and the people.

Online resources make learning about Mozambique Island lots of fun. Did you know that Vasco da Gama was the first European explorer to discover an ocean route from Europe to Indian? Or that many of the slaves traded on Mozambique Island were sent to Brazil? Read up on Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese influence on Mozambique before you depart on a family vacation and teach mom and dad a few things on the trip.