THE PROVINCES
Cabo Delgado:
The Makonde people, artists in wood and ivory, occupy this northern-most province
of Mozambique.
The coastal city of Pemba has yet remained untouched by pollution, thus leaving
the beaches and other natural beauty intact. Silver smithies are the forefront
of art and craftmanship here.
The nearby Ibo Island, part of the Quirimbas Archipelago, was once a prolific
Portuguese trading post.
Niassa:
Niassa is Mozambique’s largest province in area, though the least populated.
Lichinga, the largest town, lays surrounded by dense pine forests. Lake Niassa
has yet retained its natural beauty, due to the difficulty of reaching it by
roads. Niassa also has an elephant reserve – The Niassa Reserve –
famous for its high-elephant population.
Nampula:
This province exhibits starkly contrasting sights. Forests, mountains, and old
coral cities (Mozambique Island) grant the visitor a blink of history –
natural and man-made – in an instant.
Tete:
The Tete province holds such gems as the Cabora Bassa dam (second largest dam
in Africa and fifth largest in the world), the Tete Suspension Bridge (linking
Tete to Moatize), and the Boroma Church (a late 19th-Century Jesuit church)
and such minerals as coal, iron, fluorite and gold.
Zambezia:
Zambezia is most famous for its coconut and teas.
The Gile Game Reserve holds a large variety of mammals and various other species
in its wildlife conservation effort.
Manica:
Manica produces a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Chimoio, the capital
city of Manica Province, serves as the marketplace for the surrounding areas
of agricultural stability. Cabeça do Velho (Face of the Old Man) - the
most well known feature of the city is a spectacular natural stone formation
resembling the face of an old man.
Sofala:
Sofala, one of the richest Mozambican provinces, produces primarily shrimps
and sugar.
The capital Beira, is built on a plain below sea level. Beira’s best
beaches are found between the Clube Náutico and the lighthouse. The famous
Gorongosa National Park, though not as highly populated as before the war, still
holds a great many wildlife. Another interesting site is the Marromeu Buffalo
Reserve, to the north of the province.
Inhambane:
Inhambane peppers its province with extensive coconut palm trees and cashew
trees.
The Bazaruto Archipelago consists of four islands: Bazaruto, Benguera, Magaruque
and Santa Carolina. They sit off of the mainland between Vilanculos and Inhassoro.
Zinave National Park and Bazaruto National Park are conservation areas. Numerous
beautiful beaches also make this province one of the most often visited by tourists.
Gaza:
Gaza province plays the "granary" of Mozambique due to the fertility
of the Limpopo valley which houses extensive cereal and rice cultivation. The
Banhine National Park, between the Limpopo and Changane rivers is protected
due to its rich variety of wildlife.
Maputo:
The Maputo province seats the capital city of Maputo, formerly known as Lourenco
Marques – after one of the Portuguese settlers and rulers of old. This
city holds most of the tourist activities of the province, with its both urban
and beach feel, as well as the famous Maputo Elephant reserve
