Save River (Africa)
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The Save (or Sabi) river has its source in Zimbabwe, some 100 km south of Harare, flows south and then inflects to east, crossing Mozambique to flow into the Indian Ocean.
It divides Mozambique administratively, politically, ethnically and ecologically:
- During the colonial era, the whole area south of the Save was considered a province of Mozambique; presently, the Save separates the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane to the south, from those of Manica and Sofala to the north:
- Politically, the “south-of-the-Save” can be considered the stronghold of Frelimo, while te region immediately to the north is, in general, more supportive of Renamo;
- From the point of view of the population, the Save separates the ethnic groups that are native speakers of Shangaan (or Xi-Tsonga), to the south, from those that speak languages of the Shona group;
- Ecologically, as the Save flows in to the Indian Ocean approximately at the latitude 20º S, its mouth corresponds to the separation of tropical marine ecosystems, to the north, from the subtropical; the terrestrial ecosystems are no so different in the coastal plains, north and south of the river, but north of the Save, where the Chimanimani mountain range starts, a montane forest developed, which is completely different from the forests found in the south.
