Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development until the mid 1990's. The ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. Mozambique has seen very strong economic growth since the end of the civil war largely due to post-conflict reconstruction.