Inhambane
Encyclopedia
Inhambane, Terra de Boa Gente (Land of the Good People) is a city located in southern Mozambique
, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo
. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province
and according to the 2008 census has a population of 65,837, growing from the 1997 census of 54,157. It is a sleepy historic town known for its rusting colonial architecture and has been popular with tourists in recent years.
The settlement owes its existence to a deep inlet into which the small river the Matamba flows. Two protective sandy headlands protect the harbor and form a sandbank. The town of Maxixe
is located across the bay.
Inhambane is one of the oldest settlements on the East Coast of Mozambique. Dhows traded here as early as the 11th century. Muslim and Persian
traders were the first outsiders to arrive to the area by sea and traded pearls and ambergris
, and they also traded at Chibuene
in the south. The area became well known for its local cotton
spinning and production by the Tonga tribe. Sometime before the Portuguese
reached the area, the Karanga had invaded Inhambane and formed a number of local chieftains who dominated over the Tonga cotton workers and the rewards of trading with the Muslims went to them.
When Vasco da Gama
rounded Africa in the late 15th century he pulled into Inhambane to replenish stocks and to explore. He took an immediate liking to Inhambane and named it Terra de Boa Gente or 'Land of the Good People'. In 1505, a ship sent by Francisco de Almeida
was shipwrecked south of the town, but the Portuguese gained an initial meeting with the Karanga chiefs. Later, their sons landed on Mozambique Island to survey the situation. The Portuguese eventually established a permanent trading post at settlement in 1534. Inhambane was then chosen as the first Jesuit mission to East Africa in 1560.
The port gradually grew as an ivory
and slave trading centre, particularly in the eighteenth century under mostly India
n control. It was destroyed in 1834 by Soshangane
, but grew rapidly in the second half of the century as a town of Portuguese East Africa
. The old cathedral
and old mosque
was built during that period. However, in the 20th century the status of the town declined and the economic situation worsened as Maputo
(called Lourenço Marques before 1975) became the main centre.
The 170 year old Cathedral of our Lady of Conception is located in the old quarter of the city where a rusted ladder leads to the top of the spire, offering panoramic views of the city and harbor. The city is now home to a museum
and a market
and is known for its nearby beach
es of Tofo and Barra. The central market located along the main boulevard called simply "Mercado Central" offers numerous foods, ranging from a colorful array of spices and vegetables to prawns, fishes and cashew
nuts.
Motor and dhow
taxis sail from the town to Maxixe
. The town of Inhambane has one of the largest working fleets of dhows on the East African coastline.
Notable sites in the surrounding district of Inhambane include the Praia do Tofo
, Praia dos Cocos, Ponto do Barra, Ilha de Benquerra, Guinjata Bay. Scuba diving
in Inhambane is particularly popular in locations such as Manta Reef and Gallaria. Giant Manta Rays, Whale shark
s, Turtle
s and other marine life are regularly seen and there are many professional scuba diving operations throughout the province. Many tourists are under the impression that they can dive from Inhambane itself. The closest diving to Inhambane is actually at Praia do Tofo
- 22km from Inhambane City. Tofo
is known as the whale shark
, Mecca of the world.
The easiest way to reach Inhambane is by road from Maputo on the EN 1. It is also possible to reach Inhambane from Beira, Mozambique
or Zimbabwe
on the EN 6 and EN 1 after Inchope. Inhambane has an airport Inhambane Airport
and there are flights from Maputo on most days and charters flying in from Johannesburg
in South Africa
.
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province
Inhambane Province
Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1.412.349 . The provincial capital is also called Inhambane....
and according to the 2008 census has a population of 65,837, growing from the 1997 census of 54,157. It is a sleepy historic town known for its rusting colonial architecture and has been popular with tourists in recent years.
The settlement owes its existence to a deep inlet into which the small river the Matamba flows. Two protective sandy headlands protect the harbor and form a sandbank. The town of Maxixe
Maxixe, Mozambique
Maxixe is the largest city and economic capital of the province of Inhambane, Mozambique. It is situated on the Indian Ocean at 23°52′S 35°23′E just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, in a bay opposite historic Inhambane City which can be reached by local ferries...
is located across the bay.
History
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
traders were the first outsiders to arrive to the area by sea and traded pearls and ambergris
Ambergris
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated or secreted by sperm whales....
, and they also traded at Chibuene
Chibuene
Chibuene is a Mozambiquean archaeological site, located five kilometres south of the coastal city of Vilanculos. The site was occupied during two distinct phases. The earlier phase of occupation dates to the late first millennium AD. The second phase dates from around 1450 and is contemporaneous...
in the south. The area became well known for its local cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
spinning and production by the Tonga tribe. Sometime before the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
reached the area, the Karanga had invaded Inhambane and formed a number of local chieftains who dominated over the Tonga cotton workers and the rewards of trading with the Muslims went to them.
When Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
rounded Africa in the late 15th century he pulled into Inhambane to replenish stocks and to explore. He took an immediate liking to Inhambane and named it Terra de Boa Gente or 'Land of the Good People'. In 1505, a ship sent by Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
was shipwrecked south of the town, but the Portuguese gained an initial meeting with the Karanga chiefs. Later, their sons landed on Mozambique Island to survey the situation. The Portuguese eventually established a permanent trading post at settlement in 1534. Inhambane was then chosen as the first Jesuit mission to East Africa in 1560.
The port gradually grew as an ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
and slave trading centre, particularly in the eighteenth century under mostly India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n control. It was destroyed in 1834 by Soshangane
Soshangane
Soshangane was a General of the Zulu King Shaka who broke away from Shaka's hegemony and carved out a Nguni empire of conquest in what is now modern-day Mozambique. Allied with the rival Ndwandwe in 1819, Soshagane fled after defeat by Shaka. He moved north into Mozambique, absorbing or...
, but grew rapidly in the second half of the century as a town of Portuguese East Africa
Portuguese East Africa
Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa was the common name by which the Portuguese Empire's territorial expansion in East Africa was known across different periods of time...
. The old cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
and old mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
was built during that period. However, in the 20th century the status of the town declined and the economic situation worsened as Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
(called Lourenço Marques before 1975) became the main centre.
The 170 year old Cathedral of our Lady of Conception is located in the old quarter of the city where a rusted ladder leads to the top of the spire, offering panoramic views of the city and harbor. The city is now home to a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
and is known for its nearby beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es of Tofo and Barra. The central market located along the main boulevard called simply "Mercado Central" offers numerous foods, ranging from a colorful array of spices and vegetables to prawns, fishes and cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
nuts.
Motor and dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
taxis sail from the town to Maxixe
Maxixe, Mozambique
Maxixe is the largest city and economic capital of the province of Inhambane, Mozambique. It is situated on the Indian Ocean at 23°52′S 35°23′E just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, in a bay opposite historic Inhambane City which can be reached by local ferries...
. The town of Inhambane has one of the largest working fleets of dhows on the East African coastline.
Recreation
Tofo
Praia do Tofo or simply Tofo is a small town in southeastern Mozambique. The town lies on the Indian Ocean coast, on Ponto do Barra peninsula in Inhambane Province, 22 km drive from Inhambane city...
, Praia dos Cocos, Ponto do Barra, Ilha de Benquerra, Guinjata Bay. Scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
in Inhambane is particularly popular in locations such as Manta Reef and Gallaria. Giant Manta Rays, Whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
s, Turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and other marine life are regularly seen and there are many professional scuba diving operations throughout the province. Many tourists are under the impression that they can dive from Inhambane itself. The closest diving to Inhambane is actually at Praia do Tofo
Tofo
Praia do Tofo or simply Tofo is a small town in southeastern Mozambique. The town lies on the Indian Ocean coast, on Ponto do Barra peninsula in Inhambane Province, 22 km drive from Inhambane city...
- 22km from Inhambane City. Tofo
Tofo
Praia do Tofo or simply Tofo is a small town in southeastern Mozambique. The town lies on the Indian Ocean coast, on Ponto do Barra peninsula in Inhambane Province, 22 km drive from Inhambane city...
is known as the whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
, Mecca of the world.
Transport
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
or Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
on the EN 6 and EN 1 after Inchope. Inhambane has an airport Inhambane Airport
Inhambane Airport
Inhambane Airport is an airport in Inhambane, 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 can be organised in advance of arrivals. Fees and taxes apply.There is currently...
and there are flights from Maputo on most days and charters flying in from Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.