Nampula

Nampula
Nampula
Coordinates: 15°07′S 39°16′E / 15.117°S 39.267°E / -15.117; 39.267
Country	Mozambique
Provinces	Nampula Province
City Status	1956
Elevation	360 m (1,180 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	471,717
Area code(s)	(+258) 26
Climate	Aw

Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in northeastern Mozambique.

It has a population of 471,717 (2007 census),^[1] making it the third largest city in Mozambique after Maputo and Beira.

It is home to the Mozambique National Ethnographic Museum, several markets, cathedrals and mosques.

Nampula is the centre of business in northern Mozambique. It has a few western-style hotels, restaurants and shopping centres. It also has a small international airport connecting to Nairobi in Kenya and Johannesburg in South Africa, and is a transport hub for local transport in northern Mozambique; however, it is not noted as a tourist destination itself.

Population

Demographics

Religion

Its Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima is the archiepisciopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nampula.

Notable locals

Abel Xavier, a Portuguese football player, and Carlos Queiroz, a Portuguese football manager formerly in charge of Real Madrid, were also from Nampula, at that time a city of the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique.

Education

• The city is home to the Faculty of Health Science, Universidade Lurio. In 2009 a course in optometry was launched, the first of its kind in Mozambique. The course is supported through the Mozambique Eyecare Project. The other partners include the Dublin Institute of Technology, University of Ulster and Brien Holden Vision Institute.
• There is a Portuguese international school, Escola Lusófona de Nampula.^[3]

Transport

• The city has an airport, Nampula International Airport, which is located 4 kilometres away from the city centre. Kenya Airways currently operates thrice-a-week flights from Nairobi, while Airlink connects to Johannesburg in South Africa. LAM connects to domestic places like Pemba, Lichinga, Tete, Beira, Vilankulo, Quelimane and Maputo.
• A railway line serves the city. Additionally, a railway workshop is located in the city.
• The bus stand, which can be accessed from any part of the city within 10 minutes, connects with places within Nampula province and in the neighbouring provinces. The tourist location Ilha de Moçambique, meaning Island of Mozambique, is located 200 km east of Nampula and is accessible by numerous minibuses.

Geography

The city of Nampula lies in the centre of the province of Nampula and is surrounded by plains and rocky outcrops. The city lies amongst rolling hills and mountains, typical of the interior of northern Mozambique.

Climate

Gallery

• 
  Local women on the street
• 
  A Makhuwa family in Nampula
• 
  Local boys in Nampula

References

Coordinates: 15°07′00″S 39°16′00″E / 15.11667°S 39.26667°E / -15.11667; 39.26667

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nampula.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Nampula.