Niassa Province
Encyclopedia
Provinces of Mozambique
||Mozambique is divided into 10 provinces and 1 capital city with provincial status:#Cabo Delgado Province#Gaza Province#Inhambane Province#Manica Province#Maputo City#Maputo Province#Nampula Province#Niassa Province...
of Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. It has an area of 129,056 km² and a population of 1.027.037 (2006). It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga
Lichinga
Lichinga is the capital city of Niassa Province of Mozambique. It lies on the Lichinga Plateau at an altitude of 1360 metre, east of Lake Niassa . The town was founded as Vila Cabral as a farming and military settlement...
is the capital of the province. There are a minimum estimated 450,000 Yao people
Yao (ethnic group in Africa)
The Yao people, Wayao, are a major ethnic and linguistic group based at the southern end of Lake Malawi, which played an important part in the history of East Africa during the 19th century. The Yao are a predominantly Muslim people group of about 2 million spread over three countries, Malawi,...
living in Mozambique. They largely occupy the eastern and northern part of the Niassa province and form about 40% of the population of Lichinga, the capital of this province.
The Ruvuma River
Ruvuma River
Ruvuma River, formerly also known as the Rovuma River, is a river in East Africa, forming during the greater part of its course the border between Tanzania and Mozambique . It is long, with a drainage basin in size...
forms much of the northern boundary of the province with Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
while Lake Niassa forms the western border of the province, separating it from Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. 75% of the province remains untouched by development, and remains free of landmines. The province shares the Niassa National Reserve
Niassa Reserve
Niassa Reserve is a nature reserve in Cabo Delgado Province and Niassa Province, Mozambique. Covering over , it is the largest protected area in the country. The reserve is part of the Trans-Frontier Conservation Area and links to the Tanzanian Lukwika-Lumesule Game Reserve...
with neighboring Cabo Delgado Province.
In 1998, a provincial college was built in Lichinga to train teachers. Partially financed by the Irish Embassy in Maputo, it graduates 60 teachers a year. Apart from training teachers for local schools, the college offers primary school education to the local Lichinga community and works towards reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS in Niassa province.
The districts of Niassa Province include:
- Cuamba DistrictCuamba DistrictCuamba District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isCuamba.-Further reading:*...
- Lago DistrictLago DistrictLago District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town is Metangula. Lago District is bordered to the west by Lake Nyasa, on the south by Lichinga, on the east by Sanga District...
- Lichinga DistrictLichinga DistrictLichinga District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isLichinga.-Further reading:*...
- Majune DistrictMajune DistrictMajune District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMajune.-Further reading:*...
- Mandimba DistrictMandimba DistrictMandimba District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town is Mandimba.-Further reading:*...
- Marrupa DistrictMarrupa DistrictMarrupa District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town is Marrupa.-Further reading:*...
- Maúa DistrictMaúa DistrictMaúa District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMaúa.-Further reading:*...
- Mavagoago DistrictMavagoago DistrictMavagoago District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMavagoago.-Further reading:*...
- Mecenhelas District
- Mecula DistrictMecula DistrictMecula District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMecula.Part of the Niassa Reserve is located in this district.-Further reading:*...
- Metarica DistrictMetarica DistrictMetarica District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMetarica.-Further reading:*...
- Muembe DistrictMuembe DistrictMuembe District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isMuembe.-Further reading:*...
- N'gauma DistrictN'gauma DistrictN'gauma District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isN'gauma.-Further reading:*...
- Nipepe DistrictNipepe DistrictNipepe District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isNipepe.-Further reading:*...
- Sanga DistrictSanga DistrictSanga District is a district of Niassa Province in north-western Mozambique. The principal town isSanga.-Further reading:*...
Niassa Province includes the municipalities of:
- CuambaCuambaCuamba is a city and district of Niassa Province in Mozambique, lying north west of Mount Namuli. Before independence the town was known as Nova Freixo .It lies on the EN8 road and is connected to the city of Nampula in the east.- Transport :...
- LichingaLichingaLichinga is the capital city of Niassa Province of Mozambique. It lies on the Lichinga Plateau at an altitude of 1360 metre, east of Lake Niassa . The town was founded as Vila Cabral as a farming and military settlement...
- MetangulaMetangulaMetangula is a small town in on the shores of Lake Niassa, 150 kilometers from the provincial capital of Lichinga in Niassa Province, Mozambique. A few kilometers north of Metangula lies the beautiful sand beach of Chuanga. Main agricultural crops from the area are cassava and Vigna beans ....