Ancuabe District


Ancuabe District is a district of Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique. It covers 4,984 km2 with 199,457 inhabitants in 2015. Its seat is the town of Ancuabe.

Geography

It borders to the north with the district of Meluco, west with the district of Montepuez, south of the district of Chiúre and that the districts of Pemba-Metuge and Quissanga.

Demographics

According to the 1997 census, the district had 87,243 inhabitants. Government data in early 2005 revealed a population of 109,792 n an area of 4 836 km2, resulting in a population density of 21.9 persons per km2. The same source points to a population of 121,000 inhabitants in 2015.
The district is inhabited mostly by the Makua people.

History

In colonial period, Ancuabe was an administrative post in the municipality of Porto Amelia

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into three administrative sub districts (Ancuabe, Metoro and
Meza, comprise the following locations:

Economy

The district is well served in terms of accessibility, as it is cut by two major roads, Pemba-Montepuez and north-south road that connects Nampula to Mocímboa da Praia. The town of Ancuabe is located 67 kilometres from Pemba.
The dominant economic activity in the district is agriculture, involving almost the entire population. Most agricultural production is for self-support and the main crops are: cassava, maize, bean, sorghum, peanut and rice. Food supply is also aided with domestic animals and hunting of wildlife, and the fruit harvest.
Commercial farming of cotton, brown nuts and maize were important in colonial times and post-colonial but are returning, especially the cotton industry is of note. They are also exploited forest resources, especially as energy source for most of the population, although there is great potential forest.
There are also large reserves of graphite which were exploited commercially from 1994 to 2000.
Graphites de Ancuabe Ltda. operated a sizeable mine and plant near Ancuabe from 1994 to 1999. According to feasibility studies for international mining companies, the reserves amount to about 1 million tonnes of ore with a content of 10% graphite. The extraction capacity installed has a potential production capacity of 10,000 tons of graphite a year. The extraction and processing were stalled in 1999, however, due to a number of reasons, particularly financial difficulties of the dealer, the low price of the mineral on the international market and a poor and expensive power supply, because the district is not yet connected to the national grid. In 2007, the Mozambique government announced its intention to re-open the mine, but this depends on the supply of electricity from the Cahora Bassa Dam.