Massingir District is a district of Gaza Province in southwestern

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 ...

. The administrative center of the district is in Massingir. The district is located in the west of the province, and borders with

Chicualacuala District Chicualacuala District (Portuguese: Distrito de Chicualacuala) is a district of Gaza Province in south-western Mozambique. It has a population of 41,638 (2011) and covers . The population density of Chicualacuala District 2.1 residents per square ...

in the north, Mabalane District in the east, Chókwè District in the southeast,

Magude District Magude District is a district of Maputo Province in southern Mozambique. The principal town is Magude. The district is located in the north of the province, and borders with Massingir and Chókwè Districts of Gaza Province in the north, Manhi ...

Maputo Province Maputo Province is a province of Mozambique; the province excludes the city of Maputo (which comprises a separate province). The province has an area of and a population of 1,968,906 (2017 census). Its capital is the city of Matola. Geography ...

in the south, and with

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

in the west. The area of the district is . It has a population of 28,470 (2007).

Geography

The Rio dos Elefantes and the Mazimulhpe River are the principal rivers in the area. Many rivers are seasonal and flow only during the rainy season. There are 10 lakes in the district. The

Massingir Dam Massingir Dam is a dam on the Rio dos Elefantes (Olifants or Lepelle), Gaza Province, Mozambique. It is named after the town of Massingir, in Massingir District. The Shingwedzi River flows close to the northeastern side of the reservoir and join ...

is located on the Rio dos Elefantes and is an important breeding ground for the

Nile crocodile The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, ...

.Massingir Dam & Flooding of Olifants Gorge
/ref> The climate is tropical dry semi-arid, with the average annual rainfall being between .

Limpopo National Park The Limpopo National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional do Limpopo) was born when the status of Coutada 16 Wildlife Utilisation Area in Gaza Province, Mozambique, was changed from a hunting concession to a protected area. It forms part of the Great Limpop ...

, part of

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a 35,000 km² peace park that is in the process of being formed. It will link the Limpopo National Park (formerly known as Coutada 16) in Mozambique, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou Natio ...

, is shared between Massingir, Chicualacuala, and Mabalane Districts. The area of the park within Massingir District is .

History

The district was established in 1972, after the construction of the dam.

Demographics

As of 2005, 45% of the population of the district was younger than 15 years. 20% of the population spoke Portuguese. The most common mothertongue among the population was Tsonga. 74% were analphabetic, mostly women.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into three postos, Massingir (three localities), Mavoze (three localities), and Zulo (three localities).

Economy

4% of the households in the district have access to electricity.

Agriculture

In the district, there are 3,500 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.

Transportation

There is a road network in the district which includes of a national roads (Massingir to Chokwe) and of secondary roads. None of the secondary roads are paved, and most are in a bad state.

References

{{Coord, 23.921, S, 32.162, E, type:adm1st, display=title Districts in Gaza Province States and territories established in 1972 1972 establishments in the Portuguese Empire