Chicualacuala District (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: Distrito de Chicualacuala) is a district of

Gaza Province Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km2 and a population of 1,422,460 (2017 census), which is the least populous of all the provinces of Mozambique. Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is t ...

in south-western

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

. It has a population of 41,638 (2011) and covers . The population density of Chicualacuala District 2.1 residents per square kilometers, significantly lower than the average of 17.5 in Gaza Province. The district seat is the town of

Chicualacuala Chicualacuala is a town located in the Provinces of Mozambique, province of Gaza Province, Gaza in Mozambique. The town is better known by this unofficial name (and the name of the district to which the town belongs) than by its official toponym ...

. Chicuacuala District is bordered to the north by the Massangena District, to the east by Chigubo District, to the southwest by Mabalane District, to the south by

Massingir District Massingir District is a district of Gaza Province in southwestern Mozambique. The administrative center of the district is in Massingir. The district is located in the west of the province, and borders with Chicualacuala District in the north, Ma ...

, to the southwest by

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, and to the northwest by

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

. It is home to several villages along the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River () rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mou ...

including Dumela, Mbuzi, Kunguma, Mawene, Xicumba, Xicumbane, Ngala, Panhame, Mabuzane, and Xitshutswini. Chicuacuala District has four health centers; the single hospital in the province is located outside the district. The district also lacks a bank.

Geography

The whole district belongs to the drainage basin of the Limpopo, and the Limpopo River flows through the district. Other big rivers in the district are the Nuanetzi River, the Chefu River, the Munene River, and the Singuédzi River. The latter makes the border with Massingir District. The climate is tropical arid and semi-arid, with the annual rainfall varying between and .

Banhine National Park Banhine National Park is a protected area in northern Gaza Province, Mozambique. The park was established on 26 June 1973. In 2013 the limits of park were updated to better reflect the realities on the ground, particularly the human presence in t ...

, part of

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a 35,000 km2 peace park that is in the process of being formed. It will link the Limpopo National Park (formerly known as Coutada 16) in Mozambique, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou Natio ...

, is shared between Chigubo, Chicualacuala, and Mabalane Districts. The area of the park within Chicualacuala District is .

Limpopo National Park The Limpopo National Park () was born when the status of Coutada 16 Wildlife Utilisation Area in Gaza Province, Mozambique, was changed from a hunting concession to a protected area. It forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park with the ...

, also part of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, is shared between Massingir, Chicualacuala, and Mabalane Districts. The area of the park within Chicualacuala District is .

Demographics

As of 2005, 47% of the population of the district was younger than 15 years. 25% of the population spoke Portuguese. The most common mothertongue among the population was

Tsonga Tsonga may refer to: * Tsonga language, a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa * Tsonga people, a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique and South Africa. * Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (; born 17 April 1985) ...

. 69% were analphabetic, mostly women.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into three postos,

(three localities),

Mapai Mapai (, an abbreviation for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', ) was a Labor Zionist and democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in January ...

(four localities), and

Pafuri The Makuleke Contractual Park or Pafuri Triangle constitutes the northernmost section of the Kruger National Park, South Africa, and comprises approximately 240 square kilometres of land. The "triangle" is a wedge of land created by the conflue ...

(two localities). *

: ** Vila Eduardo Mondlane ** Chicualacuala B ** Litlatlha ** Mahatlane *

: ** Chidulo ** 16 de Junho ** M'Ponze ** Mapai-Rio *

: ** Mbuzi ** Mungumbane

Economy

Agriculture

In the district, there are 6,000 farms, with 60% exploiting less than of land. The main agricultural products are corn,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inpu ...

, peanut, and sweet potato. Population of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats was steadily growing prior to 2005.

Transportation

There is a road network in the district which includes a stretch of the national road EN340 to Chokwe, as well as of secondary roads. The

Limpopo Railroad Limpopo () is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers ...

(Southern System) runs through the district.

References

{{Coord, 22, 05, S, 31, 41, E, region:MZ_type:adm1st, display=title Districts in Gaza Province