4K : Amazing Drive : A Sunday trip to Maputo from Macaneta to see the developments of last 60 years

Описание: My wife's family was stationed in the then Lourenço Marques, which became Maputo in 1976, after independence from Portugal in 1975. We chose a Sunday to go sightseeing because of the lighter traffic.

Macaneta is a peninsula island just 33km north of Maputa and forms a part of the Marracuene district within the Maputo province. Earlier known as Vila Luísa, Marracuene is situated on the Incomati River. According to the history books February 2, 1895, Marracuene was the site of a decisive battle between Portuguese commander António Enes and Ronga emperor Gungunyane. The Portuguese defeated the larger Ronga forces by means of repeating rifles and a machine gun and the anniversary of the battle is celebrated by the locals each year.

Maputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within 120 kilometres of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The Maputo metropolitan area includes the neighbouring city of Matola, and has a total population of approx 3 million. Maputo is a port city, with an economy centered on commerce. It is noted for its vibrant cultural scene and distinctive, eclectic architecture.

Maputo is situated on a large natural bay on the Indian Ocean, near where the rivers Tembe, Mbuluzi, Matola and Infulene converge. Maputo is a cosmopolitan city, with Bantu, Portuguese, and, to a lesser extent, Arabic, Indian, and Chinese languages and cultures present. About 50% of Maputo speaks Portuguese as a native language.

The area on which Maputo stands was first settled as a fishing village by ancient Tsonga people. It was soon named Lourenço Marques, after the navigator of the same name who explored the area in 1544. The modern city traces its origins to a Portuguese fort established on the site in 1781. A town grew around the fort starting around 1850, and in 1877 it was elevated to city status. In 1898, the colony of Portuguese Mozambique relocated its capital there. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lourenço Marques grew both in population and economic development as a port city. Upon Mozambican independence in 1975, the city became the national capital and was renamed Maputo. During the Mozambican Civil War, the city's economy was devastated. When the war ended, the FRELIMO government launched a program to revive the city's economy, and to clean up the city by forcibly removing criminals, squatters, and undocumented residents.

Maputo has a number of landmarks, including Independence Square, City Hall, Maputo Fortress, the central market, Tunduru Gardens, and Maputo Railway Station. Maputo is known as an aesthetically attractive, if dilapidated, city. With wide avenues lined by jacaranda and acacia trees, it has earned the nicknames City of Acacias and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. The city is known for its distinct, eclectic architecture, with Portuguese colonial Neoclassical and Manueline styles alongside modern art deco, bauhaus, tropical modernism and Brutalist buildings. The historic Baixa de Maputo district is the downtown area. Maputo has a vibrant cultural scene, with many restaurants, music and performance venues, and local film industry. Maputo's economy is centred around its port, through which much of Mozambique's imports and exports are shipped. The chief exports include cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra, and hardwood. In addition to trade, the city has robust manufacturing and service sectors. Several colleges and universities are located in Maputo, including Pedagogical University, São Tomás University, Catholic University of Mozambique, and Eduardo Mondlane University, the oldest in the country.

0:00 Macaneta to Marracuene (Villa Louis)
5:10 Marracuene to Airport area via N1
15:15 Airport to Bullring (got a little lost)
16:14 Bullring to Central Hospital
21:07 Hospital to Methodist Church
24:42 Methodist church to Independence Square
27:57 Independence Square to Railway Station
30:10 Railway Station to Zambi Restaurant
33:28 Zambi to Polana Sommerschield
40:09 Sommerschield to Costa do Sol
42.25 Costa do Sol to Marracuene
44:45 Marracuene to Macaneta

#driving #maputo #mozambique