Provinces and Capitals of Mozambique

Sofala Province

Situated in the lower-middle section of the country, Sofala Province is one of the wealthiest in Mozambique and produces mainly sugar and shrimps. The capital city here is Beira; the city provides Zimbabwe with direct coastal connections by road and rail via the Beira Corridor.

The Sofala Province in Mozambique offers game viewing and fabulous scenery at the famous Gorongosa National Park, which is 150km (93 miles) from Beira - Elephant, Lion, Buffalo and other animals, can be seen here, birdlife is spectacular. There is also the Marromeu Buffalo Reserve in the north of the province. An active programme for the re-stocking of animals is underway in both of these areas.

Beira

Beira stands at the mouth of the Pungwe River, the ground is swampy and the weather is very hot and humid stringent malaria precautions must be taken before visiting. Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. The busy port city has interesting architecture and old buildings, banks, hotels, shops, cosmopolitan cafes and restaurants large juicy prawns and cheap crayfish available here is still some of the best.

Excellent beaches are found between the Clube Nutico and the lighthouse. Macuti beach is the most fashionable suburb. About 10 minutes inland there is a resort and artificial lagoon with islands, visitors can swim and hire pedal boats, dhow trips and great camping can be found on the Save River.

Niassa Province

Located in the north of the country bordering Tanzania at the Rovuma River and Malawi in the west at Lake Niassa (Lake Malawi), it is the largest and the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Mozambique. This area is one of the wildest and least developed. The capital is Lichinga, located on the plateau also called Lichinga.

A visit to the stunning Lake Niassa is a must, the road down to the lake is only possible with 4x4 vehicles and so this area has remained unspoilt. The lakes waters are host to an abundance of tropical fish species, the likes of which is not found any where else on earth. In the north of the province is the massive Niassa Reserve, the biggest in southern Africa, it is game rich and famous for the large number of Elephant found there.

Lichinga

Zambezia Province

Located in the upper-middle section of Mozambique, this province has wonderful tea plantations and is famous for the abundance of coconut trees numbering in the millions. The port capital is Quelimane. In under an hour north-east from the town on tarred roads visitors can find the lovely beach of Praia de Zalala.

Edged with shady casuarina trees and endless white sand this beach is a popular African holiday area. The tea plantations are in the mountainous northern part of the province. A variety of animals can be seen at the Gile Game Reserve which is a wildlife conservation area.

Quelimane

Nampula Province

This province is located in the upper regions of Mozambique with rugged mountains and miombo forest. The capital city, also named Nampula, is located inland on the plains near Mozambique Islands' popular beaches and was the Capital of Portuguese East Africa but only until 1898. After that the capital was moved to Lourenzo Marques, now Maputo.

Mozambique Island has a long and fascinating history and traded in slaves, spices and gold for hundreds of years, the older section was declared a World Heritage Site in 1992. Here there are buildings constructed out of coral though now not as pristine as they once were - places of interest include: St. Pauls Palace, The Museum of Sacred Art and also The Fortress of St Sebastian.

Nampula Town

This is the third largest town in Mozambique and is quite modern with banks, hotels, tennis clubs, supermarkets and shops. Although not really a designated tourist area there are a lot of places that are worth a visit like a museum, mosques and interesting cathedrals such as the imposing Cathedral de Nosa Senhora da Conceicao.

Tete Province

The capital city in this Mozambican province is also called Tete. The province lies along the western border of Malawi and is well known due to the location of the massive Cabora Bassa dam, and has a wealth of mineral reserves including gold, iron, coal and fluorite.

The dam is Africa's second largest freshwater lake and has the biggest hydroelectric scheme in the Southern part of this continent. Only Egypt's Aswan Dam is larger in surface area. Written permission is required to visit the dam and can be obtained in the town of Tete before the 150km (93 miles) trip. There are guided tours of the dam and its workings. The dam is excellent for tiger fishing and fly fishing.

Tete Town

Manica Province

On the far western border of Mozambique, Arab traders, later followed by Portuguese explorers, ventured into these lands by river searching for the Mwenemutapa Empire, gold, merchandise and slaves. Gradually the Portuguese settled in as colonists and soon noticed the abundance of harvests. The province is now an important producer of many types of fruits and vegetables. Chimoio is the capital city and centre of this agricultural region. There is a hydroelectric dam between Manica and Chimoio literally carved out of the rock.

Chimoio

This city forms an important centre for the trade of agricultural products and lies on the railway line between Beira and Harare in Zimbabwe. The most famous feature here is a beautiful natural stone formation which resembles the face of an old man. On the edge of Lake Chicamba there is a tourist resort and a crocodile farm.