Maputo Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Maputo is the capital of Mozambique. A port on the Indian Ocean, its economy is contered around a modern harbor. It has an official population of approximately 100,000 (1997), actually much higher due to slums and other unofficial settlements. Coal, cotton, sugar, chrome, sisal, copra and hardwood are the chief exports. The city manufactures cement, pottery, furniture, shoes, and rubber. There is also a large aluminum smelting plant, Mozal. The city is surrounded by Maputo Province.
Maputo is located on the west side of Maputo Bay, at the mouth of the Tembe River. 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.
Founded in the late 18th century, the city was named Lourenço Marques for the Portuguese trader who first explored the area in 1544. In 1895, construction of a railroad to Pretoria, South Africa caused the city's population to grow. In 1907, Lourenço Marques became the capital of Mozambique. After independence, the city's name was changed to Maputo.
The University of Mozambique is in the city, which also has a museum of Mozambique history, a military museum, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima.
It is a planned city with square blocks and wide avenues. Since being abandoned by the Portuguese during the independence process, it was taken up by native people who sometimes came directly from tribal villages, and not being acquainted with modern living all but destroyed the homes they took. Later Communist government mismanagement, lack of qualified workers and a fierce civil war contributed to its state of dereliction in late 2004. While already on the recovery, many newer buildings are being erected for the rising middle class without reforming the older ones, and many city services are still precarious.
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