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Quelimane | |
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.jpg) Quelimane | |
  Quelimane | |
| Coordinates:17°52′35″S36°53′14″E / 17.87639°S 36.88722°E /-17.87639; 36.88722 | |
| Country |  Mozambique |
| Provinces | Zambezia Province |
| City Status | 1942 |
| Area | |
• Total | 117 km2 (45 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population (2017 census) | |
• Total | 349,842 |
| • Density | 3,000/km2 (7,700/sq mi) |
| Climate | Aw |
Quelimane (Portuguese pronunciation:[keliˈmani]) is aseaport inMozambique. It is the administrativecapital of theZambezia Province and the province's largest city, and stands 25 km (16 mi) from the mouth of theRio dos Bons Sinais (or "River of the Good Signs"). The river was named whenVasco da Gama, on his way toIndia, reached it and saw "good signs" that he was on the right path. The town was the end point ofDavid Livingstone's west-to-east crossing of south-central Africa in 1856. Portuguese is the official language of Mozambique, and many residents of the areas surrounding Quelimane speak Portuguese. The most common local language isChuabo. Quelimane, along with much of Zambezia Province, is extremely prone to floods during Mozambique's rainy season.
The town originated as aSwahili trade centre, and then grew as aslave market of theIndian Ocean slave trade. Quelimane was founded byMuslim traders (seeKilwa Sultanate) and was one of the oldest towns in the region.
The origins of the name 'Quelimane' are obscure. One tradition alleges thatVasco da Gama, in 1498, inquired about the name of the place from some inhabitants labouring in the fields outside the settlement. Thinking he was asking what they were doing, they simply repliedkuliamani ('we are cultivating').
An alternative explanation is that when the Portuguese reached the settlement, they were welcomed by a notable Arab, or half Arab, who acted as interpreter between them and the natives. The name which the Portuguese applied to this individual, and his settlement, was 'Quelimane' (pronounced Kelimãn), because in the corrupt Arabic spoken on the East African coast 'Kalimãn' is the word for 'Interpreter'. In Swahili it is 'Mkalimani'.[1]
In 1761, the settlement became a town.[2] Until 1853 trade was forbidden to any other than Portuguese.[3]Sisal plantations were organized bySwiss planters in the beginning of the 20th century, namelyJoseph Émile Stucky de Quay. The town started to grow and attracted several communities from different backgrounds, including Muslims and Indians, and new infrastructure was built by the Portuguese authorities. Its busy port hadtea, grown and processed in the district of Zambézia (particularly important in the region aroundGurúè, formerlyVila Junqueiro), as its major export.Coconut was also produced and processed in the city.[4] By 1970, Quelimane had 71,786 inhabitants.
Mozambique became independent from Portugal in 1975, after the April 1974Carnation Revolution atLisbon. Although its location on theRio dos Bons Sinais is less important today than in the past, Quelimane remains a major town with a largehospital, twocathedrals, amosque, and a public university for teachers. Due to its heat, humidity, and distance from the beach, Quelimane is not among Mozambique's major tourist destinations. However, its status as a provincial capital and the fourth-largest city in Mozambique and the increasing ease of access by plane (Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique runs flights) and road contribute to a small but relatively steady stream of visitors. In addition, Quelimane is home to branches of many international NGOs, and frequent visits from foreign aid consultants, workers, and government officials also contribute to the economy. The city received a further boost when Quelimane hosted the Ninth AnnualFrelimo Party Convention in November 2006. After decades of municipal decline, the current mayor,Manuel de Araujo, is reportedly overseeing a renewed civic effort at economic and infrastructural restoration.[5]
Among theplaces of worship, they are predominantlyChristian churches and temples:Roman Catholic Diocese of Quelimane (Catholic Church), (Reformed Church in Mozambique (World Communion of Reformed Churches),Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique (World Communion of Reformed Churches),Convenção Baptista de Moçambique (Baptist World Alliance),Universal Church of the Kingdom of God,Assemblies of God,Zion Christian Church.[6] There are alsoMuslim mosques.
| Year (census) | Population[7] |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 150,116 |
| 2007 | 193,343 |
| 2017 | 349,842 |
Quelimane has atropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw).
| Climate data for Quelimane (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–1990, 2005–2023) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.5 (104.9) | 39.4 (102.9) | 38.4 (101.1) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.0 (100.4) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 37.2 (99.0) | 41.2 (106.2) | 44.0 (111.2) | 43.6 (110.5) | 43.4 (110.1) | 44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.5 (90.5) | 32.9 (91.2) | 32.0 (89.6) | 30.5 (86.9) | 29.2 (84.6) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.5 (90.5) | 33.9 (93.0) | 33.6 (92.5) | 31.0 (87.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.6 (74.5) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.2 (70.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.1 (82.6) | 25.3 (77.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 19.4 (66.9) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.2 (61.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 21.0 (69.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.9 (60.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 14.1 (57.4) | 15.9 (60.6) | 9.9 (49.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 241.4 (9.50) | 238.8 (9.40) | 237.5 (9.35) | 153.3 (6.04) | 82.3 (3.24) | 56.0 (2.20) | 62.4 (2.46) | 29.0 (1.14) | 18.5 (0.73) | 34.1 (1.34) | 88.2 (3.47) | 219.5 (8.64) | 1,461 (57.52) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.4 | 12.9 | 13.1 | 9.9 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 10.6 | 95.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 79 | 77 | 74 | 68 | 72 | 74 | 77 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 220.1 | 194.9 | 226.3 | 228.0 | 238.7 | 216.0 | 229.4 | 263.5 | 261.0 | 257.3 | 279.0 | 238.7 | 2,852.9 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 7.1 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 9.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 |
| Source:Deutscher Wetterdienst (precipitation, humidity and sun 1961–1990)[8]Starlings Roost Weather[9] | |||||||||||||
Quelimane istwinned with:
Quelimane travel guide from WikivoyageProvincial capitals ofMozambique | ||
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