Map of Inhambane
Inhambane is a first-level division of Mozambique. Its largest mapped city is Maxixe, with about 119,868 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Inhambane, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities.
- Cities Mapped
- 5
- Largest City
- Maxixe
- Country
- Mozambique
Interactive Map of Inhambane
About Inhambane
Inhambane [iɲɐ̃ˈbani] (also known as Terra de Boa Gente lit. 'Land of the Good People') is a city located in southern Mozambique, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province and, according to the 2017 census, has a population of 79,724, growing from 54,157 in the 1997 census.
The settlement owes its existence to a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows. Two protective sandy headlands protect the harbour and form a sandbank. The sister town of Maxixe is located across the bay from Inhambane.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Inhambane (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Inhambane in Depth
History
Inhambane is one of the oldest settlements on Mozambique's Eastern coast. In their history, they are recorded as city-state that submitted to different empires throughout their time, starting from the Kilwa Sultanate, the Gaza Empire, and finally Portuguese Mozambique. Dhows traded here as early as the 11th century. Muslim and Persian traders were the first outsiders to reach the area by sea and traded pearls and ambergris. They also traded at Chibuene in the north. The area became well known for its local cotton spinning and production by the Bitonga tribe. Sometime before the Portuguese reached the area, the Karanga had invaded Inhambane and formed a number of local chiefdoms. They dominated the Tonga cotton workers and reaped the rewards of trading with the Muslims.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Inhambane (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Inhambane: Key Facts
| Population | 82,119 (2017) |
|---|---|
| Area | 195 km² |
Facts from Wikidata Q456577 (CC0).
History of Inhambane: Empires and States
The atlas records 7 polities whose mapped territory included part of Inhambane, from Portuguese Africa in 1534 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Portuguese Africa | 1534–1581 CE |
| The Portuguese Empire | 1534–1910 CE |
| The Spanish Empire | 1582–1639 CE |
| Kingdom of Portugal | 1824–1910 CE |
| Portuguese Republic | 1911–1925 CE |
| Estado Novo | 1926–1975 CE |
| Mozambique | 1976–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Inhambane
Inhambane on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Inhambane
Inhambane is a sleepy historic town of 80,000 people (2017) some 485 km north of Maputo. It has some great colonial architecture (in a low-key sort of a way) and is considered by many to be one of the prettiest towns in Mozambique. It is situated on a peninsula overlooking a bay, and also serves as a springboard to the coastal resorts around Tofo beach (30 km due east, along a reasonably good road).
The Inhambane Peninsulas encompass the beach strip of Praia do Tofo and Praia da Barra, about 22 km east of the city of Inhambane. This stunning stretch of the Indian Ocean coastline is a hotspot for marine megafauna, offering travelers a vibrant, laid-back haven for scuba diving, surfing, and deep-sea eco-tourism.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Inhambane (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Inhambane
5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxixe | 119,868 | Inhambane | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Inhambane | 115,776 | Inhambane | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Quissico | 1,210 | Inhambane | Populated place |
| 4 | Panda | 602 | Inhambane | Populated place |
| 5 | Vilanculos | 177 | Inhambane | Populated place |
Inhambane: Quick Answers
- Where is Inhambane?
- Inhambane is a first-level division of Mozambique, in Africa. Its mapped cities centre on 23.7024° S, 35.1082° E.
- What is the largest city in Inhambane?
- Maxixe is the largest city mapped in Inhambane, with a metropolitan population of about 119,868.
- How many cities are in Inhambane?
- YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Inhambane, with a combined metropolitan population of about 237,633. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.