Zambezi River
The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...
in
Sofala Province
Sofala is a province of Mozambique. It has a population of 2,259,248 (2017 census). Beira is the capital of the province, named for the ruined port of Sofala which is to the south.
History
Portuguese landholder and imperialist Joaquim Carl ...
, Mozambique. It is a relatively small town with few modern facilities besides a petrol station and the neighbouring bank. Caia and surrounding communities have been experiencing an escalating HIV/AIDS epidemic, drawing national and foreign aid to the area, including a Canadian foundation called the Caia Connection based in
Vila de Sena
Vila de Sena or more commonly Sena is a town in Mozambique where there is a fundamental bridge over the Zambezi River. This bridge, the Dona Ana Bridge was originally a single track railway bridge, temporarily converted to road operation during ...
, 57.6 Kilometres north of Caia.
Transportation
In March 2007, construction commenced on what would be the longest
road bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
to span the Zambezi. The bridge over the Zambezi was officially opened on August 1, 2009, and with some controversy, was named after the current president of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza. With a length of 2376 metres and width of 16 m it will be longer than the bridges at
Tete
Tete is the capital city of Tete Province in Mozambique. It is located on the Zambezi River, and is the site of two of the four bridges crossing the river in Mozambique. A Swahili trade center before the Portuguese colonial era, Tete continue ...
and
Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It is located in the Caprivi Strip. It had 28,362 inhabitants in 2010, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. I ...
, exceeded only by the
Dona Ana Bridge
The Dona Ana Bridge spans the lower Zambezi River between the towns of Vila de Sena and Mutarara in Mozambique, effectively linking the two halves of the country. It was originally constructed as a railway bridge to link Malawi and the Moatize c ...
, which has been restored as a rail only bridge. The anticipated bridge was crucial in linking the
Sofala Province
Sofala is a province of Mozambique. It has a population of 2,259,248 (2017 census). Beira is the capital of the province, named for the ruined port of Sofala which is to the south.
History
Portuguese landholder and imperialist Joaquim Carl ...
and the
Zambezia Province
Zambezia ( pt, Zambézia) is the second most-populous province of Mozambique, located in the central coastal region south-west of Nampula Province and north-east of Sofala Province. It has a population of 5.11 million, according to the 2017 cen ...
. The Caia bridge cost an estimated US$80 million."Zambezi Bridge to Start in July (Mozambique)." ''World Bridge News'', retrieved 12 November 2007. Google Earth has high resolution photos of Caia, showing the ferry, land cleared for the bridge approaches, and derelict railway rolling stock.
Caia also has an airport with a 900-metre paved runway, and is a station on the
Sena railway
Sena railway, also called Shire Highlands railway, Dondo-Malawi railway and North-South Malawi railway, is a railway that connects Dondo, Mozambique, to Chipata, in Zambia. It is 1000 km long, in a 1067 mm gauge.Beira via the Dona Ana Bridge to
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...
,
Moatize
Moatize is the principal town and administrative center of Moatize District in western Mozambique's Tete Province. It is located on the eastern side of the Zambezi River at the confluence of the Moatize and Revuboe Rivers. After Tete, it is the ...
and
Tete
Tete is the capital city of Tete Province in Mozambique. It is located on the Zambezi River, and is the site of two of the four bridges crossing the river in Mozambique. A Swahili trade center before the Portuguese colonial era, Tete continue ...
, which was the damaged in the Mozambique Civil War and is currently being rehabilitated.
See also
*
Railway stations in Mozambique
Railway stations in Mozambique include:
Towns served by railways
(The lines do not all connect, or connect indirectly)
Northern system
(northernmost) (CDN) (from west to east)
* Nayuchi - Malawi - border town.
* Malema - way station
** R ...