Zavora
Encyclopedia
Zavora is a small coastal resort, north east of Maputo
in Mozambique
, in the district of Inharrime
, province of Inhambane
. From Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, you drive almost 420km in a north eastern direction to get to Zavora. It is located 27km away from the town of Inharrime
and the capital of the province, the city of Inhambane
, is approximately 2 hours drive away towards the North East.
The correct Portuguese
spelling is Závora, and some maps refer to the area as "Ponta de Závora", Portuguese for "Tip of Zavora" or "Praia de Závora" meaning "Beach of Zavora". The origin of the name Zavora is not known.
There is also a fish called Zavora-pypvis (Afrikaans
language), or translated Zavora-pipefish. The biological name is Halicampus zavorensis from the family Syngnathidae
. According to one reference http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=23269 it is a fish found in Western Indian Ocean: known only from one specimen from Zavora, Mozambique and two from Sur, Oman.
The word Zavora is also used as a surname in some languages and therefore the town's name could have originated from a person.
Although the local people can speak Shangaan
and Portuguese, the local language is Chopi
. English is limited to mostly businesses and lodges.
Zavora is mostly known for its beautiful natural reef and one of few remaining lighthouses along this coast. The reef makes it a popular vacation location and attracks many visitors during holidays, especially, South Africa
. There remains some old buildings that still exist from after the Portuguese left Mozambique. These are currently used as accommodation by a local lodge.
In general the local people are poor and needy. Local uplifting projects do exist by missionaries and international organisations. Most of the people make a living from fishing and farming of small crops.
Zavora is also home to one of few remaining lighthouses in Mozambique. The tower of 53 feet was built in 1910 and is still operational with 10sec interval light flashes in aid to passing ships etc. The grounds are open to the public.
According to some reference, a Dutch
liner, the MV Klipfontein, struck a submerged reef, 5 miles from Cape Barra near Inhambane on 8 January 1953. In an SA news release this area where the ship sank was referred to as Cape Zavora (Portuguese East Africa) This newsalert doubted that it could have been a submerged reef and referred to it as a hidden 'obstacle'.
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...
in Mozambique
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...
, in the district of Inharrime
Inharrime District
Inharrime District is a district of Inhambane Province in south-east Mozambique. Its principal town is Inharrime. It has a population of 97.471 as of 2007.-Further reading:*...
, province of Inhambane
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....
. From Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, you drive almost 420km in a north eastern direction to get to Zavora. It is located 27km away from the town of Inharrime
Inharrime
Inharrime is a small town in Inharrime District in southern Mozambique on the shores of some coastal lakes.- Transport :It was once served by an isolated narrow gauge railway from the port of Inhambane. It is now accessible by bus services from the capital of Mozambique Maputo...
and the capital of the province, the city of Inhambane
Inhambane
Inhambane, Terra de Boa Gente 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...
, is approximately 2 hours drive away towards the North East.
The correct Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
spelling is Závora, and some maps refer to the area as "Ponta de Závora", Portuguese for "Tip of Zavora" or "Praia de Závora" meaning "Beach of Zavora". The origin of the name Zavora is not known.
There is also a fish called Zavora-pypvis (Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
language), or translated Zavora-pipefish. The biological name is Halicampus zavorensis from the family Syngnathidae
Syngnathidae
Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes the seahorses, the pipefishes, and the weedy and leafy sea dragons. The name is derived from Greek, meaning "fused jaw" - syn meaning fused or together, and gnathus meaning jaws. This fused jaw trait is something the entire family has in common...
. According to one reference http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=23269 it is a fish found in Western Indian Ocean: known only from one specimen from Zavora, Mozambique and two from Sur, Oman.
The word Zavora is also used as a surname in some languages and therefore the town's name could have originated from a person.
Although the local people can speak Shangaan
Tsonga language
The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people, also known as the Shangaan.- Classification :Tsonga belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo languages...
and Portuguese, the local language is Chopi
Chopi language
Chopi, also spelled Copi, Tschopi, and Txopi, is a Bantu language spoken along the southern coast of Mozambique....
. English is limited to mostly businesses and lodges.
Zavora is mostly known for its beautiful natural reef and one of few remaining lighthouses along this coast. The reef makes it a popular vacation location and attracks many visitors during holidays, especially, 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...
. There remains some old buildings that still exist from after the Portuguese left Mozambique. These are currently used as accommodation by a local lodge.
In general the local people are poor and needy. Local uplifting projects do exist by missionaries and international organisations. Most of the people make a living from fishing and farming of small crops.
Zavora is also home to one of few remaining lighthouses in Mozambique. The tower of 53 feet was built in 1910 and is still operational with 10sec interval light flashes in aid to passing ships etc. The grounds are open to the public.
According to some reference, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
liner, the MV Klipfontein, struck a submerged reef, 5 miles from Cape Barra near Inhambane on 8 January 1953. In an SA news release this area where the ship sank was referred to as Cape Zavora (Portuguese East Africa) This newsalert doubted that it could have been a submerged reef and referred to it as a hidden 'obstacle'.