Matola (Mozambique)
| Matola | |||
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| Coordinates | 25 ° 58 ′ S , 32 ° 28 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Mozambique | ||
| Maputo | |||
| District | Cidade de Matola | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | MZ-L | ||
| height | 3 m | ||
| surface | 375 km² | ||
| Residents | 1,032,197 (2017 census) | ||
| Metropolitan area | 2,717,437 (2017) | ||
| density | 2,752.5 Ew. / km² | ||
| Post Code | 1114 | ||
| Telephone code | (+258) 21 | ||
| Website | Ver Meu Distrito Matola | ||
 The town hall in Matola
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Matola (1968–1972 Vila Salazar , 1972–1975 Cidade Salazar ) is the capital of the Maputo Province in Mozambique . The city belongs to the metropolitan area of Maputo.
Origin of name
Matola is a common family name and is derived from Matsolo , a Ronga kingdom that existed there before colonization. During the Portuguese colonial rule, the city was named after the Portuguese President António de Oliveira Salazar .
geography
Matola is at the western end of Maputo Bay . The city has been an independent municipality since 1998 .
The river of the same name flows through Matola .
population
At the 1997 census, Matola had 440,927 inhabitants. In the 2007 census, the population had risen to 671,556 and was 1,616,267 in the 2017 census, making it the largest city in Mozambique. The revision of the census showed a population of 1,032,197.
Economy and transport infrastructure
Matola is an industrial city on the EN4 national road . It has an important port for chromium and iron ore from Swaziland and the Republic of South Africa , which is part of the Maputo port . There are refineries (out of order at the moment) and factories that manufacture cement, soap, and agrochemicals, among other things. The main operation is an aluminum smelter of Mozal , which was put into operation of 2002.
history
Pottery fragments from an early Iron Age culture have been found in Matola, the decor of which is remarkably similar to those found in Kwale ( Kenya ). Since the finds in Matola were dated to a period from 200 to 400 AD, the finds from Mozambique and Kenya come from the same period. Some finds in Matola are assigned to the Gokomere / Ziwa tradition.
On January 30, 1981, South African Army commandos carried out an attack ( Operation Beanbag ) on the accommodations of members of the African National Congress in Matola, killing at least 15 people. Members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe were among the dead . Members of the 5th Reconnaissance Regiment from the Special Forces location Phalaborwa were involved in the operation. According to a public statement by the then Army Commander-in-Chief ( CSADF ) Constand Viljoen , planning and command posts at the ANC headquarters in Mozambique were destroyed.
Another commando operation ( Operation Skerwe ) at this location by South African special forces took place on May 23, 1983. 41 ANC activists and five uninvolved Mozambican civilians as well as a refugee from South Africa lost their lives. Another attack on the ANC office in central Maputo occurred on October 17th that same year.
Town twinning
literature
- Paul JJ Sinclair: Archeology in Eastern Africa: An Overview of Current Chronological Issues. The Journal of African History, Vol. 32, No. 2 (1991), pp. 179-219.
- Tim Maggs, Gavin Whitelaw: A Review of Recent Archaeological Research on Food-Producing Communities in Southern Africa. The Journal of African History, Vol. 32, No. 1 (1991), pp. 3-24.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mozambique: Provinces, Cities, Urban Settlements & Agglomerations - Population Statistics, Maps, Graphics, Weather and Web Information. Retrieved May 15, 2018 .
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Truth Commission, Special Report Transcript: Matola Mozambique January 1981 . on www.sabctrc.saha.org.za ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- ↑ Nelson Mandela Center of Memory: 1981. 30 January 1981 . on www.nelsonmandela.org (English)
- ^ TRC Final Report: Cross-border Military Operations / Raids . on www.sabctrc.saha.org.za ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
