Inhambane is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

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 ...

located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1,488,676 (2017 census). The provincial capital is also called Inhambane. The climate is tropical throughout, more humid along the coast and dryer inland. The coast has a number of

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

swamps. The town of Inhambane existed in the 10th century, and was the southernmost port used by

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...

for

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

trading. The region was visited by

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

in 1498, who claimed Inhambane Bay for

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. The Portuguese established a trading post at Inhambane in 1534. The province is the second largest grower of

cashew The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...

s (after

Nampula Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique. With a population of 743,125 (2017 census), it is the third-largest city in Mozambique after Maputo and Matola. The city is located in the interior of Nampula Province, approxi ...

), and also produces

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

fruit (inspiring Mozambique's most famous poet Craveirinha to write of "The Tasty Tangerines of Inhambane"). The long coastline supports much

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

. The Inhambane Bay area is of some interest for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

, with a number of beaches, and one of the last remaining populations of

dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...

in Mozambique.

Districts

Imhambane Province is divided into the 12 districts of: *

Funhalouro District Funhalouro District is a Districts of Mozambique, district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. Its principal town is Funhalouro. The district is located at the west of the province, and borders with Mabote District in the north, Inhasso ...

Govuro District Govuro District is a Districts of Mozambique, district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. Its principal town is Nova Mambone. The district is located at the northeast of the province, and borders with Machanga District of Sofala Provin ...

* Homoine District * Jangamo District * Inharrime District *

Inhassoro District Inhassoro District is a district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. The district is located at the northeast of the province, and borders with Govuro District in the north, Vilanculos District in the southeast, Massinga District in ...

Mabote District Mabote District is a district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. Its principal town is Mabote. The district is located at the northwest of the province and borders with Machaze District of Manica Province and Machanga District of S ...

* Massinga District * Morrumbene District *

Panda District Panda District is a Districts of Mozambique, district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. Its principal town is Panda, Mozambique, Panda. The district is located at the northwest of the province and borders with Funhalouro District in t ...

* Vilanculos District * Zavala District and the municipalities of: * Inhambane ''provincial capital'' * Maxixe ''largest population, and the province's economic capital''

Culture

Inhambane is famous for its music, in particular the ''

timbila The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...

'' (xylophone ensemble) of the

Chopi Chopi may refer to: * Chopi people, an ethnic group of Mozambique * Chopi language, a Bantu language spoken along the southern coast of Mozambique * Chopi blackbird (''Gnorimopsar chopi''), a bird of family Icteridae * A spice made from ''Zanthoxy ...

ethnic group.

Geography

The province has two of the Mozambique's national parks:

Zinave National Park The Zinave National Park ( or PNZ) is a protected area in Mabote District of Inhambane Province, Mozambique, created by decree on 26 June 1973. Land The park extends to the south of the Save River in Inhambane Province, covering an area of . I ...

in the northwest and

Bazaruto National Park The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) is a protected area in the Inhambane Province of Mozambique on the Bazaruto Archipelago. The park was proclaimed on 25 May 1971. It is off the coast of the Vilanculos and Inhassoro districts, coverin ...

on the

Bazaruto Archipelago The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque, Santa Carolina (also known as Paradise Island) and Shell. Nyati Island ...

in the Indian Ocean, in the northeast of the province, as well as the Pomene National Reserve.

Transportation

The province is served by

Inhambane Airport Inhambane Airport is an airport in Jangamo District, Inhambane Province, Mozambique . The airport is operational Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00, Saturdays from 08:00 to 17:00, open by advance request on Sundays. Customs and Immigration ...

, in Jangamo District. File:Moçambique Inhambane.gif, alt=, Provincial map File:Nu wel, 30 graadjes en lekker zonnig - Flickr - Martijn.Munneke.jpg, alt=, Beach in Tofo, Mozambique File:Inhambane train station.jpg, alt=, Inhambane train station

References

External links