![]() ![]() Upon Mozambican independence in 1975, the city became the national capital and was renamed Maputo. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lourenço Marques grew both in population and economic development as a port city. In 1898, the colony of Portuguese Mozambique relocated its capital there. A town grew around the fort starting around 1850, and in 1877, it was elevated to city status. It was soon named Lourenço Marques, after the navigator of the same name who first explored the area in 1544. The modern city traces its origins to a Portuguese fort established on the site in 1781. The area on which Maputo stands was first settled as a fishing village in the 1500s. Maputo is a cosmopolitan city, with Bantu, Portuguese, and to a lesser extent, Arabic, Indian, and Chinese, languages and cultures present. Maputo City is the geographically smallest and most densely populated province in Mozambique. The city is surrounded by Maputo Province, but is administered as a self-contained, separate province since 1998. The city consists of seven administrative divisions, which are each subdivided into quarters or bairros. Maputo is situated on a large natural bay on the Indian Ocean, near where the rivers Tembe, Mbuluzi, Matola and Infulene converge. It is also noted for its vibrant cultural scene and distinctive, eclectic architecture. ![]() Maputo is a port city, with an economy centered around commerce. ![]() The Maputo metropolitan area includes the neighboring city of Matola, and has a total population of 1,766,823. The city has a population of 1,094,628 (as of 2007 ) distributed over a land area of 347 km 2 (134 sq mi). Located near the southern end of the country, it is positioned within 120 km of the Swaziland and South Africa borders. Maputo ( Portuguese pronunciation: officially named Lourenço Marques until 1976) is the capital and most populous city of Mozambique. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |