Inhambane Province

Coordinates: 23°0′S 34°30′E / 23.000°S 34.500°E / -23.000; 34.500

Inhambane
Province

Indian Ocean seen from one of many province`s resorts

Inhambane, Province of Mozambique
Country Mozambique
Capital Inhambane
Area
 • Total 68,775 km2 (26,554 sq mi)
Population (2007 census)
 • Total 1,271,818
 • Density 18/km2 (48/sq mi)
Postal code 13xx
Area code(s) (+258) 293
Website www.inhambane.gov.mz

Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km2 and a population of 1,412,349 (2006).[1] The provincial capital is also called Inhambane.

The climate is tropical throughout, more humid along the coast and dryer inland. The coast has a number of mangrove swamps.

The town of Inhambane existed in the 10th century, and was the southernmost port used by Arabs for slave trading. The region was visited by Vasco da Gama in 1498, who claimed Inhambane Bay for Portugal. The Portuguese established a trading post at Inhambane in 1534.

The province is the second largest grower of cashews (after Nampula), and also produces coconut and citrus fruit (inspiring Mozambique's most famous poet Craveirinha to write of "The Tasty Tangerines of Inhambane"). The long coastline supports much fishing. The Inhambane Bay area is of some interest for tourism, with a number of beaches, and one of the last remaining populations of dugong in Mozambique.

Districts

Imhambane Province is divided into the 12 districts of:

and the municipalities of:

Culture

Inhambane is famous for its music, in particular the timbila (xylophone ensemble) of the Chopi ethnic group.

Geography

Provincial map
Beach in Tofo, Mozambique

The province has two of the Mozambique's national parks: Zinave National Park in the northwest and Bazaruto National Park on the Bazaruto Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, in the northeast of the province, as well as the Pomene National Reserve.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Total Population By Provinces - 2006". Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
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