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10 INTERESTING FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa. The capital, Maputo, is to the south, near the coast. The land area of the country is 308,642 square miles (799,509 square kilometers). The terrain ranges from tropical forests and swamps to mountains, meadows, sand dunes and beaches. The Zambezi River is an important natural resource, providing electricity through the Cahora Bassa Dam, one of Africa's largest hydropower projects. The Zambezi flows from west to east and divides the country into northern and southern regions which diverge, to some extent, in terms of culture and history as well as climate.
There are two main seasons: the wet season from November to March and the dry season from April to October. Drought is common, especially in the south. However, the country has also experienced devastating floods, the most recent in 1999. Mozambique has a great diversity of animals, including zebras, water buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos and wild animals. crocodiles. The country has created national parks and game reserves where these animals are protected.
Mozambique is ranked among the countries with the most beautiful train stations in the world. Take the example of Maputo Central Station.
Indeed, Maputo surprises at every turn with its mix of architecture. Surrounded by colossal rationalist buildings in the heart of Baixa, it is the train station, listed as one of the most beautiful in the world. From the elegant main building is accessed two platforms covered by a roof full of wrought iron ornaments and supported by beautiful columns and ornate beams. There are also details from another era: wall clocks, huge ceiling fans, beautiful Portuguese tiles, carved wooden doors, iron benches, large bells ...
This station, built in a beautiful colonial building at the beginning of the 20th century on the plans of Gustave Eiffel, is still in operation. It has undergone a redevelopment of these quays, which today host exhibitions and local artists. It is also a famous place to come and listen to jazz concerts on certain evenings of the month. They take place in the bar / restaurant of the station. It is recommended to go there during rush hour to come and watch the movement of people.
The ‘Ponta de Ouro’ Partial Marine Reserve, which is Africa's first transboundary marine conservation area along with Kosi Bay in South Africa, is well known for its rich biodiversity. This is where 80% of the loggerhead and leatherback turtle nesting sites in Mozambique are concentrated. In 2015, however, it was estimated that at least 70% of the vulnerable population living along this coastline depended heavily on exhaustible fishery resources.
In 2018, the Ponta de Ouro Partial Marine Reserve merged with its land neighbor, the Maputo Special Reserve. These two protected areas now form a single whole, supervised by a dedicated and firmly established team which ensures coordination between organizations in the area. At the same time, steps have been taken to prepare a dossier aimed at inscribing the coast of the Ponta de Ouro Partial Marine Reserve as a World Heritage Site, in the extension of the adjacent South African coast.
Mozambican cuisine is mainly composed of cassava, millet flour, rice, fish or seafood. Ginger, lime, coconut milk and chili (piri-piri) are the basic flavors. . Mozambique's culinary tradition is marked by its history. As early as the Middle Ages, Arab traders transported spices through the Silk Road from India to Africa, to Mozambique.
In the 15th century, Mozambique became a Portuguese colony. Located on the shores of the Indian Ocean and placed on the Spice Route (a trade route connecting Portugal to India via the Atlantic, then via the Indian Ocean), it is always amply supplied with spices.
Mozambican cuisine has intimately integrated the colors of Indian curries (caril) brought by these Arab and then Portuguese merchants. It was also inspired by the richness of Portuguese cuisine, for example by incorporating potatoes.
After independence, Mozambican cultural institutions underwent a fundamental transformation, as the new government sought to eliminate the influences of the colonial era. Some of these institutions remained closed, but most eventually reopened in a different form. Gustave Eiffel's famous iron house serves as an administrative center for some of the country's cultural departments. The Historical Archives of Mozambique, the Museum of the Revolution, the National Currency Museum, the Geology Museum, the National Art Museum and the Natural History Museum, all located in Maputo, contain the main collections, archives and libraries.
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Published Sep 15, 2023
