Facts about Mozambique
... also Moçambique, Mocambique and Mozanbique
Mozambique is a coastal paradise attracting many visitors because of its warm tropical weather and pristine beaches which stretch as far as the eye can see. Over the last few years Mozambique has become an African tourist hot-spot popular amongst leisure, adventure and eco-travellers alike.
Geography of Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (in Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique), is situated in southern Africa between Tanzania in the north and South Africa in the south. Mozambique is a ribbon-like country of 802,000 square kilometres with a 2.500 km coastline along the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Thus, when most people think of Mozambique, the first image that springs to mind is sandy, palm-fringed beaches. Mozambique is divided into ten provinces and one capital city Maputo with provincial status. Nyati Beach Lodge is located on the coast of the Inhambane Province by the city of Vilanculos.
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1. Cabo Delgado
The time zone is GMT/UTC + 2 hours. |
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The beaches of Mozambique
Mozambique is home to some of the most gorgeous beaches along the African coast. In the South the beaches of Bilene and Xai Xai are extremely popular. The soft sand and warm water surrounding the many beautiful islands and archipelagos have made Mozambique beach holidays legendary. The renowned Bazaruto Archipelago - part of the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary - is the most famous archipelago of Mozambique. It is here Nyati Beach Lodge lies in its own private beach paradise with more than 10 kilometers of undisturbed beaches. The Nature Reserve surrounding Nyati Beach Lodge is home to a wealth of marine life, unspoiled beaches and rare species of wildlife - an untouched and magical gem that is just waiting to be explored.
History of Mozambique
Mozambique (Moçambique) was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. By 1510, the Portuguese had control of all of the former Arab sultanates on the east-African coast. After 500 years of Portuguese colonial rule, Mozambique became an independent state in 1975. It was among the last countries in Africa to become independent. The Portuguese had exported gold, ivory and slaves from Mozambique and the slave trade was a large source of income for Portugal during the 18th century. At the time of independence, Mozambique was one of the poorest countries in the world and more than 90% of its inhabitants were illiterate. A large part of the country's infrastructure was destroyed during the civil war, which ended as late as in 1992. Today Mozambique is a parliamentary republic with the capital Maputo.
Population of Mozambique
The number of inhabitants in Mozambique is 20.6 million, of which about 50% are under the age of 15. The average life expectancy is 36 years. The largest city is Maputo with around 932,000 inhabitants, Beira with around 299,000 and Nampula with around 251,000. 99% of the population is African belonging to the Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, and Sena tribes. Only around 1% of the population is of European descent. Half of the population practice indigenous African religions or faiths. 30% are Christians and 20% are Muslims.
Language in Mozambique
Portuguese is the official and most spoken language in Mozambique. However, the following 13 local languages are also practiced across the country: Emakhuwa, Xitsonga, Ciyao, Cisena, Cishona, Eschuwabo, Cinyanja, Xironga, Schimaconde, Cinyungue, Cicopi, Bitonga, and Kiswahili. Most educated Mozambicans can also speak English, which is used in schools and business as second or third language.
Currency in Mozambique
The currency in Mozambique is the Mozambique Metical (MZM). There are 100 centavos to 1 Metical. For 1 Euro you will get around 37.300 MZM and for 1 ZAR around 3.160 MZM. However, it is possible to pay using ZAR in most cities in Mozambique and you can exchange ZAR and USD into MZM in all major banks in the country. We recommend having USD in low denomination bills during your stay since payment for visa upon arrival to Mozambique and some of the activities at Nyati Beach Lodge are charged for locally in USD.
Climate in Mozambique
The dominating climate in Mozambique is tropical with both a wet and a dry season. During the wet season, which lasts from December to March the country receives 80% of its total yearly precipitation. The average annual rainfall is between 500 and 900 millimeter. The dry season lasts from April to September, however climatic conditions vary depending on altitude. Daytime temperatures range between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius all year round, but while temperatures are consistently high during the rainy season, they drop somewhat at night during the dry season. February is the windiest month. Click onwards to read more about the weather and seasons of Mozambique.
Mozambique in many ways
Mozambique (Moçambique) was named after Muça Alebique (Portuguese transliteration of Musa Alibiki), who was an Arab sultan. Mozambique is often spelled in a variety of ways including: Moçambique, Mocambique, Mozanbique, Mocanbique, Mosambique, Mosanbique, Mozambiqe, Mocambiqe, Moçambiqe, Mosambiqe, Mozanbiqe, Mocanbiqe, Moçanbiqe, Mosanbiqe, mozambigue. However, the most commonly used spelling is Mozambique, in Portuguese Republica de Moçambique..
More Than a Beach Holiday
While in Africa we would highly recommend some big game viewing at the Nyati Safari Lodge. Here you can combine a Mozambique beach holiday with a safari in neighboring South Africa. It is easy to hop between the two countries, with direct flights from Kruger airport to Vilanculos, the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago.
