Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It is named for Cape Delgado, a coastal headland on the border between Mozambique and Tanzania, which forms the northernmost point in Mozambique.
The Gaza pronvince's name is derived from a Swazi chief named Gaza, a contemporary of Shaka Zulu.
Inhambane is a coastal province in the southern part of the country. It has a number of beaches, and one of the last remaining populations of Dugong in Mozambique.
Manica province has an area of 61,661 km² and a population of approximately 1.2 million (2002). Chimoio is the capital of the province.
Maputo province has an area of 26,058 km² and a population of approximately one million (2002). Matola is the capital of the province.
Nampula province has an area of 81,606 km² and a population of approximately 3.4 million (2002). Nampula is the capital of the province. Under Portuguese rule this province was named Moçambique but with independence, the name was used for the entire country and the province renamed for its capital.
Niassa province has an area of 129,056 km² and a population of approximately 900,000 (2002). It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga is the capital of the province.
The Rovuma River forms much of the northern boundary of the province with Tanzania while Lake Niassa forms the western border of the province, separating it from Malawi.
Sofale province has an area of 68,018 km² and a population of approximately 1.5 million (2002). Beira is the capital of the province. The province is named for the ruined port of Sofala.
Tete province has an area of 100,724 km² and a population of approximately 1.4 million (2002).
Tete is the capital of the province. The Cahora Bassa Dam is situated in this province.
Zambézia is the second most-populous province of Mozambique, located in the central coastal region south of Nampula and north of Sofala. It has a population of approximately 3.5 million (2002). The provincial capital is Quelimane on the Bons Sinais River.
Zambézia has a total area of 103,127 km², much of it drained by the Zambezi River. Much of the coast consists of mangrove swamps, and there is considerable forest inland.
