| Maputo | |
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  Maputo
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Mozambique |
| Population (2004) | |
| - City | 1,114,000 |
| - Metro | 1,691,000 |
Maputo, formerly Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Lourenço Marques was a 16th century Portuguese trader Biography He explored the area that is now Maputo Bay in 1544. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa A port on the Indian Ocean, its economy is centered around the harbour. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface It has an official population of approximately 966,837 (1997), but the actual population is estimated to be much higher because of slums and other unofficial settlements. Coal, cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra, and hardwood are the chief exports. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Chromite is iron magnesium chromium oxide (Fe MgCr2O4 It is an Oxide Mineral belonging to the Spinel group Sisal or sisal hemp is an Agave Agave sisalana that yields a stiff Fiber used in making Rope. Copra is the dried meat or kernel of the Coconut. The name copra is derived from the Malayalam word kopra for dried coconut The city manufactures cement, pottery, furniture, shoes, and rubber. In the most general sense of the word a cement is a binder a substance which sets and hardens independently and can bind other materials together Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal A shoe is an item of Footwear. Shoes may vary from a simple Flip-flop to a complex Boot. There is also a large aluminium smelting plant, Mozal. WikipediaNaming Chemical reduction, or smelting, is a form of Extractive metallurgy. The city is surrounded by Maputo Province, but is administered as its own province. Maputo is a province of Mozambique; the province excludes the city of Maputo (which comprises a separate province
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Geography
Maputo is located on the west side of Maputo Bay, at the mouth of the Tembe River. Maputo Bay (Baia de Maputo formerly Delagoa Bay is an Inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique, between 25 40 and 26 20 S The bay is 95 km (50 mi) long and 30 km (20 mi) wide. The Maputo River empties into the southern end of the bay. The Maputo River (Portuguese Rio Maputo) also called Great Usutu River, Lusutfu River or Suthu River, is a river in South Africa,
History
Founded in 1876, the city was named after Lourenço Marques, the Portuguese trader who was the first European to explore the area in 1544. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Lourenço Marques was a 16th century Portuguese trader Biography He explored the area that is now Maputo Bay in 1544. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. In 1895, construction of a railroad to Pretoria, South Africa caused the city's population to grow. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa In 1898, Lourenço Marques became the capital of Mozambique. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common During the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill, after being captured by the Boers, made a daring escape to Lourenço Marques by slipping past the sentries. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans After independence, the city's name was changed to Maputo. Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area Maputo's name reputedly has its origin in an old, fierce tribal leader, Maputa, who once ruled over the region.
Transport
Airports
Maputo International Airport is the main international airport of Mozambique. Maputo International Airport is an Airport located three km (1 Maputo Public transport is mainly served by Minibus taxis, which are believed to transport the majority of the cities commuters. There is also a state owned bus company with an ineficiente depleated bus fleet that currently has a fleet of 37 buses. The minibuses are largely second hand import from Japan, that do most of the public transport acitivity. There are two major bus terminals in the city One at "Baixa", down town, and another one at Museu " or at the Museum".
Infrastructure
Maputo is home to the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique's first university, and to the main campus of the Universidade Pedagógica, another major Mozambican university. The Eduardo Mondlane University (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane is the oldest and largest University in Mozambique. The Pedagogical University (Universidade Pedagógica is one of Mozambique 's principal Universities. The city has a museum of Mozambican history, a military museum, Natural History Museum, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady of Fátima (ˈfatimɐ is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she appeared to three shepherd children at Fátima
Maputo is a planned city with square blocks and wide avenues, with Portuguese traces and their typical architecture of the 1970s. Portuguese refugees fled in massive numbers at the end of the independence war in 1975, and the resultant lack of skills and capital, in the context of a fierce civil war and government mismanagement, contributed to its state of dereliction in the years following the declaration of peace. Nevertheless, the city itself was never damaged, since it was tacitly considered neutral ground during both the colonial and the civil war. Recovery has always been very slow owing to a lack of investment. In many cases new buildings are being erected for the rising middle class, rather than existing buildings being renovated, and many city services are still precarious.
The Maputo beach has been spoiled by waste dumped into the bay, so it is not used for recreation, though the water quality does now appear to be improving.
Culture
Maputo is a melting pot of several cultures, with a strong South African influence. The Bantu and Portuguese cultures dominate, but the influence of Arab, Indian, and Chinese cultures is also felt. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The cuisine is very elaborate, owing especially to the Portuguese and Muslim heritage. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Seafood is also very abundant. Seafood is any Sea Animal or Seaweed that is served as Food, or is suitable for eating particularly saltwater animals such
An important cultural and artists' centre in Maputo is the Associação Núcleo de Arte. It is the oldest collective of artists in Mozambique. Seated in an old villa in the centre of Maputo the Núcleo has played a significant role in metropolitan cultural life for decades. Over one hundred painters, sculptors and ceramists are member of the Núcleo, which regularly stages exhibitions on its own premises and over the last few years has actively participated in exchanges with artists from abroad. The Núcleo became well known for their project transforming arms into tools and objects of art. It played an important role for reconciliation after the Mozambican Civil War. The Mozambican Civil War began in 1975 following the war of independence. The exhibition of art objects such as the Chair of the African King and the Tree of Life was shown around the world, among others in the British Museum in 2006. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London.
Maputo is home to the Dockanema Documentary Film Festival, and international festival showcasing documentary films from around the world. DOCKANEMA is an annual international documentary film festival held in Maputo, Mozambique. The 2nd DOCKANEMA festival is scheduled for September 14 - 25, 2007, and will include more than 80 films.
See also
External links
- Photos and Map of Maputo
- All about Maputo
- Maputo Port Development Company
- Maputo International School
- American International School of Mozambique
- Maputo travel guide from Wikitravel
- Article about the 'Arms for Arts' project of the Núcleo de Arte
- Website of the Núcleo de Arte
- Mozambique Business and Information Portal
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