Chibuto District is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of Gaza Province in south-western

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

. Its principal town is

Chibuto Chibuto is a city located in the province of Gaza in Mozambique, about 200 km north of the capital, Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern ...

. The district is located at the south of the province, and borders with Chigubo District in the north, Panda District of Inhambane Province in the east, Manjacaze District in the southeast,

Xai-Xai District Xai-Xai District is a district of Gaza Province in south-western Mozambique. The administrative center of the district is Chongoene. The district is located in the south of the province, and borders with Chibuto District in the north, Manjacaze ...

in the south, Chókwè District in the southwest, and Guijá District in the west. The area of the district is . It has a population of 197,214 as of 2007.

Geography

The

Changane River The Changane River () is a river in Mozambique, a tributary to the Limpopo River which it joins near the coast, just past the town of Chibuto. It forms part of the eastern boundary of Gaza Province. The Changane is the easternmost tributary of t ...

, a major left tributary of the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountain ...

, makes a border of the district with Inhambane Province. The area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Limpopo, though rivers in the interior are seasonal. The climate is tropical arid, with the annual rainfall varying between and .

Demographics

As of 2005, 43% of the population of the district was younger than 15 years. 37% of the population spoke Portuguese. The most common mothertongue among the population was Tsonga. 54% were analphabetic, mostly women.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into six postos,

(two localities), Alto Changane (two localities), Godide (two localities), Malehice (six localities), Chaimite (three localities), and Changanine (two localities).

Economy

3% of the households in the district have access to electricity.

Agriculture

In the district, there are 33,000 farms which have on average of land. The main agricultural products are corn,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, ...

, peanut, sweet potato, and rice. Population of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats was steadily growing prior to 2005.

Transportation

There is a road network in the district which includes a stretch of the national road EN1, connecting

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,0 ...

and Inhambane, as well as of secondary roads, mainly connecting Chibuto with the rest of the district.

References

{{Coord, 24.683, S, 33.533, E, type:adm1st, display=title Districts in Gaza Province