Manica Province
Manica | |
---|---|
Basic data | |
Country | Mozambique |
Capital | Chimoio |
surface | 61,661 km² |
Residents | 1,911,237 (2017) |
density | 31 inhabitants per km² |
ISO 3166-2 | MZ-B |
Coordinates: 19 ° 30 ′ S , 33 ° 15 ′ E
Manica is a province in western Mozambique .
geography
Manica has an area of approximately 61,661 km². It borders the provinces of Tete , Gaza , Inhambane and Sofala as well as the state of Zimbabwe . The capital is Chimoio . It has a population of around 171,056.
The highest mountain in Mozambique, Monte Binga , is 2436 m in this otherwise very hilly landscape near the border with Zimbabwe. In the north the province is bounded by the Zambezi .
Administrative structure
The province of Manica is divided into nine districts and 34 administrative areas. The districts are:
population
In 2017, 1,911,237 people lived in the province. They belong mainly to the Shona and Sena ethnic groups .
economy
The residents live mainly from subsistence farming . Main foods are corn, cassava and goat meat. Agriculture is favored by the rainy and mild climate. Cashew nuts were once an important export product.
history
Around 1500 Bantus ousted the Khoisan who had lived there since around 6000 BC . From the 8th century, the region belonged to the sphere of influence of the Munhumutapa Empire and had trade relations with Arab-Swahili traders in the coastal regions. With the colonial era, the region came under Portuguese influence.