Lichinga | |
|---|---|
 Municipal Council of Lichinga | |
  Lichinga | |
| Coordinates:13°18′46″S35°14′26″E / 13.31278°S 35.24056°E /-13.31278; 35.24056 | |
| Country |  Mozambique |
| Provinces | Niassa Province |
| Area | |
• Total | 280 km2 (110 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,398 m (4,587 ft) |
| Population (2017 census) | |
• Total | 213,361 |
| • Density | 760/km2 (2,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
| Climate | Cwb |
Lichinga is the capitalcity ofNiassa Province ofMozambique. It lies on theLichinga Plateau at an altitude of 1,360 metres (4,460 ft), east ofLake Niassa (Lake Malawi). The town was founded asVila Cabral as a farming and military settlement. It is served byLichinga Airport. The province bordersRuvuma Region inTanzania.
The region that is Niassa province is the ancestral homeland of theYao andMakua.
Founded by thePortuguese colonial administration in 1931 as Vila Cabral,[1] the town was designed to become a fast growth urban centre, its streets and avenues paying attention to a projected future growth. Vila Cabral was upgraded to city status in 1962. In the early 1960s its population was 27,000 inhabitants; by 1970 it had 36,715. The city developed as an agriculture and colonial service centre until the independence of Mozambique from Portugal in 1975. In addition, the town's economy includedforestry-based activities and was surrounded by apinetree plantation.[2]
After independence the new government renamed the city Lichinga. The effects of 17 years ofcivil war (1975-1992) spread famine and disease in Mozambique resulting in many deaths and refugees in the region around Lichinga.
Owing to its high altitude location the town experiences a moderatesubtropical highland climate (Cwb, according to theKöppen climate classification), with cool weather in the dry season (May to September) and average temperatures of 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) in July. Summertime is October to April with the hottest weather in November: average temperature 22 °C (72 °F). This is also the season of heavy rain especially December to March. The annual rainfall is 1,171 mm (46.1 in).
| Climate data for Lichinga, elevation 1,365 m (4,478 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.2 (86.4) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.3 (86.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 27.6 (81.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 29.8 (85.6) | 31.0 (87.8) | 36.4 (97.5) | 35.0 (95.0) | 32.3 (90.1) | 36.4 (97.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 23.2 (73.8) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.1 (80.8) | 28.6 (83.5) | 26.0 (78.8) | 24.8 (76.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 20.3 (68.5) | 20.4 (68.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.9 (71.4) | 20.7 (69.3) | 18.4 (65.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 12.8 (55.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 15.7 (60.3) | 16.6 (61.9) | 17.4 (63.3) | 14.5 (58.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 6.0 (42.8) | 1.9 (35.4) | 2.7 (36.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 1.8 (35.2) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.5 (47.3) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 1.0 (33.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 222.5 (8.76) | 224.1 (8.82) | 201.2 (7.92) | 91.9 (3.62) | 24.6 (0.97) | 2.8 (0.11) | 3.6 (0.14) | 1.0 (0.04) | 3.4 (0.13) | 19.4 (0.76) | 103.0 (4.06) | 234.6 (9.24) | 1,132.1 (44.57) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 19.4 | 16.9 | 17.8 | 9.8 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 9.1 | 17.8 | 98.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 87 | 86 | 85 | 82 | 76 | 73 | 67 | 63 | 57 | 52 | 65 | 82 | 73 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 130.2 | 130.0 | 161.2 | 183.0 | 232.5 | 222.0 | 213.9 | 241.8 | 246.0 | 279.0 | 201.0 | 139.5 | 2,380.1 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 33 | 37 | 43 | 52 | 66 | 66 | 61 | 67 | 69 | 73 | 53 | 35 | 54 |
| Source 1:Deutscher Wetterdienst (precipitation, humidity and sun 1961–1990)[3] Starlings Roost Weather[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (extremes)[5] | |||||||||||||
There are a minimum estimated 450,000Yao people living in Mozambique. They largely occupy the eastern and northern part of theNiassa province and form about 40% of the population of Lichinga.
| Year | Population[6] |
|---|---|
| 1997 census | 85,758 |
| 2007 census | 142,331 |
| 2017 census | 213,361 |
Arailway branch line from theport of Nacala terminates in this town, it has been renovated and receives services 3 times per week. Transport into and out of the city is either by private car or the publicchapa, or minibus system. Air service is provided by Lichinga Airport with flights to Nampula and Maputo throughLAM Mozambique Airlines or Ethiopian Airlines.[citation needed]
13°19′00″S35°14′00″E / 13.31667°S 35.23333°E /-13.31667; 35.23333
Provincial capitals ofMozambique | ||
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