Recommendations for a beginners photography book which touches on the technical points we discussed was requested in our last class. As noted, there are a hundreds of choices that typically give the same information. The best suggestions would be to visit a book store and look through a number of photography books to see which author's voice or style is best for you. (A book store employee can direct you to the right section–they're typically in the arts section but often in hobbies as well). Since your choices are limited in Maputo, particularly if you are looking for a book in English, you might try South Africa if you should visit. The internet is also a possibility.
Although it's been nearly 20 years since my last purchase of this type of book, the one that I bought and still have is called Photography (Fourth Edition) by Barbara London Upton and John Upton. The book still exists although the former husband and wife team is its 9th edition and has an additional author: Photography (9th Edition) by Barbara London, Jim Stone and John Upton. It's a book I still own and have referred to over the years and is widely used by colleges and universities.
Also, as mentioned, a number of great resources have been listed on this website that touch on a variety of technical aspects of photography both for beginners and advanced photographers. You are encouraged to explore the entries in this web log and the links on the right sidebar. In this case the section called It's Elementary: The Basics might be quite helpful.
Illustration from Photograpy, Upton & Upton