Marracuene District


Marracuene District is a district of Maputo Province in southern Mozambique. The principal town is Marracuene. The district is located in the center of the province, and borders with Manhiça District in the north, the city of Maputo in the south, and with the city of Matola and with Moamba District in the west. In the east, the district is limited by the Indian Ocean. The area of the district is. It has a population of 136,784 as of 2007.

Geography

The principal river in the district is the Incomati River.
The climate is tropical humid, with the annual rainfall ranging between and.

History

Marracuene, then known as Vila Luísa, served as a popular tourist destination in Mozambique's colonial era thanks to a 21-mile beach on the Indian Ocean; the town also served as a key link in the Lourenço Marques Railway System.
On February 2, 1895, Marracuene was the site of a decisive battle between Portuguese commander António José Enes and Ronga emperor Gungunyane; the Portuguese defeated the Ronga forces by means of repeating rifles and a machine gun.

Demographics

As of 2005, 41% of the population of the district was younger than 15 years. 59% of the population spoke Portuguese. The most common mothertongue among the population was Varhonga. 48% were analphabetic, mostly women.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into two postos, Marracuene and Machubo.

Economy

2% of the households in the district have access to electricity.

Agriculture

In the district, there are 10,000 farms with, on average, of land. The main agricultural products are corn, cassava, cowpea, peanut, rice, and sweet potato.

Transportation

There is a road network in the district, which includes of the national road EN1, running from Maputo north along the coast.