Matola
| Matola | |
|---|---|
  Matola | |
| Coordinates: 25°57′44″S 32°27′32″E / 25.96222°S 32.45889°E | |
| Country |
 Mozambique |
| Provinces | Maputo Province |
| Municipality | Matola |
| Area | |
| • Total | 373 km2 (144 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 675,422 |
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi) |
Matola is a city in southern Mozambique, which lies 12 kilometers to the west of the country's capital, Maputo. Matola is the capital of Maputo Province and has had its own elected municipal government since 1998. It has a port and also the biggest industrial area in Mozambique. The population of Matola is, according to the 2007 census, 675,422 inhabitants,[1] with one 2010 calculation putting its current population at 757,753.[citation needed]
Etymology
Matola, which is also a common family name, comes from Matsolo a Ronga kingdom that existed in this region when the colonists arrived.
Industry
Matola is an industrial centre with an important port for minerals (chromium and iron) and other exports from Swaziland and South Africa. It has petroleum refineries (presently inactive) and diverse industries, which manufacture products like soap, cement, and agricultural materials. The most important of these is an aluminium smelter, installed in 2002, that more than doubled Mozambique's GDP.
Transport
Matola is served by a station on the southern network of Mozambique Ports and Railways. Coal is exported from here.
Geography
Matola is also the name of a small river (some 30 km long), that makes the northern border of the Matola municipality, and flows into Maputo Bay.
Demographics
| Year | Population[2] |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 440 927 |
| 2007 | 675 422 |
Town twinning
See also
References
- ↑ "População por sexo e idade, segundo distrito Província de Maputo. 2007" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2010-11-13.
- ↑ "Mozambique: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
Coordinates: 25°58′S 32°28′E / 25.967°S 32.467°E
| |||||||