Introducing Northern Mozambique

The northern part of Mozambique includes the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa and Tete.  The Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique has been named after Cape Delgado which is a coastal headland on the border between Mozambique and Tanzania.  This region of Mozambique forms the northernmost point in Mozambique.

The Nampula Province of Mozambique, with an area of 81,606 km² has Nampula as its capital. Under Portuguese rule this province was named Moçambique but with independence, the name was used for the entire country and the province was renamed for its capital.

Tete, which can be translated as 'reed', is the capital of the Tete Province and is located on the Zambezi River.  Tete is the site of a one-kilometre-long suspension bridge as well as the Cahora Bassa Dam.  A Swahili trade centre before the Portuguese colonial era, Tete continues to dominate the centre-west part of the country and region, and is the largest city on the Zambezi.

In the Lichinga Province, the Ruvuma River forms much of the northern boundary with Tanzania while Lake Niassa forms the western border of this province, separating it from Malawi.  The Niassa National Reserve is situated in the Lichinga Province.

Niassa National Reserve, Lichinga Province ( Mozambique)

The Niassa National Reserve is the largest conservation area in Mozambique.  It covers parts of the Cabo Delgado Province and nearly one third of Mozambique's Niassa Province.  The Niassa National Reserve measures twice the size of the Kruger National Park in South Africa. This vast wilderness preserve, covering 42 000 square kilometers, is only just being discovered and contains by far the greatest concentration of wildlife in Mozambique.

The Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique's northern region is home to elephants, sable antelope and several thousand cape buffalo. Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, eland and zebra roam the plains and river valleys against a backdrop of towering island mountains which dominate the topography of this region.

Niassa National Reserve is truly a Mozambique wildlife paradise, providing refuge for the endangered African Wild Dog, as well as other predators such as lion, leopard and the spotted hyena.  Game such as kudu, bushbuck, impala, wildebeest, waterbuck, reedbuck and hippo can also be found here. Three sub-species, the Niassa Wildebeest, Boehm's Zebra and Johnston's Impala are endemic to the Niassa area. This is one of the last areas in the world where such a wide array of wildlife thrives without any management by man.