Gurúè

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Gurúè (known before independence as Vila Junqueiro) is located in the northern part of Mozambique, near the center of the province of Zambezia. It is the country's largest tea estate. Population: 105,000.

1 Geography and Location
2 Climate
3 Economy
4 Demographics
5 Transportation
6 Animal species
7 See also

[edit] Geography and Location

Gurué is located in the North of the Zambezia province, 350 km from the next international Airport in Blantyre, Malawi and also 350 km from Quelimane or Nampula, two of Mozambique's biggest cities. It is located at longitude 37 degrees 1 minute East and latitude 15 degrees 30 minutes South.

In the background: Mount Murresse; near the center, to the right: "Plantações Manuel Saraiva Junqueiro" - tea factory.

[edit] Climate

Gurúè is considered to have a temperate climate. Summers have temperatures in the range of 30ºC to 34ºC. Winters have temperatures in the range of 17ºC to 20ºC. Like in tropical climates Winter is usually referred to as rain season while Summer is called dry season. Gurué's climate has much more rainfall than most of the rest of the province due to the effect of the mountains that surround the town. It creates a microclimate which is unusually cool and wet and therefore good for growing tea.

[edit] Economy

Gurúè's economy depends mainly on the tea plantations (90%), but other plantation types can also be found: coffee, fruit, ... Most people also have small subsistence farms to supplement their irregular salaries.

[edit] Demographics

According to Mozambique's Government 1997 census, Gurúè's population was estimated at 101,367 and in 2006 at 111,297. Most people in the area speak Lomwe.

[edit] Transportation

Gurúè can be reached by car or airplane. But the roads are unpaved and get very bad in the rainy season. Also, there is only a small grass airstrip and there are no regular flights to Gurué.

[edit] Animal species

A 1998 birding expedition to Gurúè re-discovered the country's only endemic, Namuli Apalis, unseen since it was discovered in 1932. It is now known to be thriving in forests in this area. According to a recent University of Cape Town scientific expedition "in a land of many natural treasures, Namuli (a mount near Gurúè, with 2419m and being the second highest mountain in Mozambique) is the jewel in the crown" and "a high-priority site for birds in Africa".

Namuli Apalis