18 Interesting Maputo Facts That Will Leave You Amazed

Hello!!! welcome to Maputo, the vibrant capital city of Mozambique!

From its stunning architecture 🏰to its rich cultural heritage, it offers some captivating facts for you to discover!

This article will offer some amazing about the wonderful city of Maputo that will leave you amazed!

Let’s begin this exciting 😄 journey!

Fascinating Facts About Maputo

Maputo City: It didn’t grow much until the late 19^th century

I am quite amazed to explore this interesting fact about the beautiful Maputo City! 

The city didn’t grow much until the late 19^th century. 

The city was a small finishing village till the late 19^th century when a railroad 🛤️from South Africa’s Pretoria was completed and connected the two regions together.

After that, the city of Maputo quickly started to grow and became Mozambique’s capital in 1907.

 It got this honor by replacing the Island of Mozambique, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Maputo City: It got its name after a Portuguese navigator

Little fact-diggers, get ready to explore the secret hidden behind the name of this beautiful city! 

The city was named after Lourenco Marques, a Portuguese navigator, prior to it becoming Maputo. 

Before that, this place was famous as Delagoa Bay. 

In the year 1544, Marques was sent to the area to explore the rivers and also the bay. The Portuguese established many trading stations and forts in the city, only to abandon them and later reoccupy them.

Already populated when Vasco da Gama ‘discovered Maputo

Have you heard about Vasco da Gama 🤔?? Then let’s take a look at this amazing connection between this famous person and Maputo! 

Before Lourenco Marques started his exploration, Vasco da Gama sailed⛵ into the region of Maputo and also the Island of Mozambique in 1498. 

However, after reaching Maputo, he found out that there were a lot of people already living there.

The entire area had a developed society with a lot of wealthy 💰merchants doing trade with the local people. 

Thus, he was forced to leave the place and shot canons at the city as he was escaping.

This beautiful city of Maputo: Went through a 17-year Civil War

I am very depressed to learn this sad fact about Maputo! 

Now famous as a perfect place in Mozambique, the city of Maputo wasn’t so great for the people from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. 

This interesting country was experiencing a long civil war, and even multiple places in the city were raided during this time. 

One of the first things people see coming in through the airport is a huge mural depicting the civil war. 

Also, there are several monuments around the city that commemorate the civil war.

Maputo City: City with the most attractive railway stations 

Want to explore an amazing fact about Maputo City? 

While talking about railroads, we must say that the city of Maputo has one of the most attractive railway stations in the world. 

This beautiful railway station was built between 1913 and 1916 and was designed by some of the world’s most significant architects. 

The station is covered in attractive latticework, and there is a museum inside that tells the history of railways in Mozambique. 

This structure can remind us of France, as the dome on top of the station was actually designed by a colleague of Gustave Eiffel.

The city of Maputo: It used to be racially segregated

Unfortunately, like many other South African cities, the beautiful city of Maputo was once completely segregated. 

The Portuguese population used to reside in an area that was all white, known as Cement City. 

These residents have access to wide avenues, gorgeous buildings🏫, public gardens, and all other vital amenities of modern city life. 

The people of Africa had to live in shanty towns located on the outside of town with hardly any resources. Today, the old policies are over, and every individual can enjoy the city.

The capital of Mozambique: Home to a popular restored hotel

I really love this wonderful secret about Maputo! 

Famous as the Grand Dame of Africa, the Hotel Polana is one of the most well-known restored hotels on the planet. 

In 1922, when it was built, it was famous as one of the most modern and best hotels in the world. It even outclassed most hotels in Europe.

Quickly, it became a playground for the rich and was popular as a meeting place for secret agents and spies of Italian and German forces during World War II. 

Although it went through some rough times, it has since been restored to its original luxury.

Maputo City: Hosted several famous Hollywood movies

Little fact enthusiasts want to know this amazing fact about Maputo City! Let’s explore.

Once famous for censoring movies and having a state-run film industry, the city of Maputo has opened up to multiple productions in recent years. 

This beautiful city has been the background of some notable Hollywood movies, like The Interpreter, Blood Diamond, and Ali. 

The urban streets and railway station of Maputo served as a stand for Sierra Leone during the filming of the movie Blood Diamond.

The residents of Maputo City: They are quite interested in farming

I am quite amazed to learn that though most countries around the world believe in white-collar jobs, most people in the country of Mozambique are still interested in farming. 

They believe that producing important resources can help them sustain on their own. 

The key activity is the preference of the inhabitants of this region, and almost 80% of the total population is engaged in agriculture.

Maputo City: The patrilineal and matrilineal communities in the city

Have you ever heard about the patrilineal and matrilineal communities in Maputo City!?

The country of Mozambique has two types of inheritance practices. 

The north includes nomadic tribes along the Zambezi River who have a property inheritance practice that is related to matrilineal patterns.

 In this, the father’s side is dominated by the mother’s side. In contrast, the South includes just the opposite, meaning a patrilineal society where the property is inherited by the sons.

Maputo City experienced the extinction of Rhinos

I am really sad to learn this unfortunate secret about Maputo or the City of Acacias! What about you??

The hunters wiped out rhinos from the country over a century ago. 

However, in 2002, the opening of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier National Park reintroduced rhinos 🦏.

The park with a population of about 300 rhinos; however, by the end of the year 2012, only 15 of them had survived. 

These remaining rhinos even died by the mid of 2013, leading to the complete extinction of these interesting animals. 

Interesting culture of Maputo: Explore the beauty of the ‘Chopi’ happy dance

The residents of the area called the city of Maputo are well connected with their ancient values and culture. 

The dance 💃 and music of the nation can display those values very well.

Chopi is a traditional dance of the country of Mozambique, and the costumes which are used during the dance are really famous due to being very colorful. 

Lion skin costumes are so loved around the world that even several famous restaurants on the planet organize the Maputo theme for their customers.

Maputo City: It features a tropical savanna climate

This beautiful and aesthetically attractive capital city of Mozambique features a tropical savanna climate. 

Under the Koppen climate classification, it even borders on a hot semi-arid climate.

This city is relatively dry, with an average of 32 inches of yearly precipitation. 

Precipitation is abundant during summer. The city has a warm climate with an average mean temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Also, the hottest 😎 month is January, and the coolest one is July.

Maputo City: It is good for Scrabble

Do you love to play Scrabble like me? Then you will definitely love 😊 this amazing secret about Maputo!

The country of Mozambique is most liked by many Scrabble players. 

Many casinos are operated here, where visitors come and enjoy playing Scrabble. 

The record for maximum points in just a single game goes to this country, followed by Kyrgyzstan.

People of Maputo: The city with Vibrant youngsters

According to the latest analysis done by several international agencies, the economy of Maputo City as well as Mozambique, should become productive and vibrant. 

It is because the majority of the country’s population is under the age of 17 years. 

This means there are great scopes yet to come, and the nation is about to taste the flavor of prosperity. Let’s hope for the best!!

Maputo City: Its national flag has an AK47

Little friends, have you heard about a national flag that has an AK 47!! Sounds quite interesting!! Isn’t it??

The national flag of Mozambique, as well as Maputo, is no doubt quite special!!  

You might have already known that the national flag of a country symbolizes significant ideas like its legacy, diversity, and even message to the world. 

However, a unique trend about its flag has an AK47 showed on its national flag, which is a little bit controversial.

Casa Do Ferro: Unravel the secrets of the Iron House in Maputo

This wonderful Maputo City is home to a famous house that is entirely made of iron. 

This unique house was imported in the year 1892 as the home of Governor Rafael Jacome de Andrade.

Due to iron, this house got so hot inside that the governor never moved in. 

Recently, this house is used as the offices of the National Directorate of Culture Heritage, as it is now air-conditioned.

Mount Mabu Rainforest: Explore the beauty of in Maputo

In 2015, scientists discovered an unknown rainforest on Mount Mabu with the help of Google Earth. 

It was even named the “Google Forest.” The international research team arrived in Mozambique to explore this virgin forest. 

It had a pristine environment and also rich diversity. The team discovered new plant and animal species, including three new species of snake 🐍 and a pygmy chameleon.

Summing up

So, little knowledge enthusiasts, now you know that Maputo is a city that proudly celebrates its natural beauty, cultural diversity 💃, and modern advancements.

From attractive iron houses and famous hotels to its interesting wildlife and wonderful rainforest 🌲, what in Maputo attracts you the most?

As we are already engaged, we would love 😊 to know your answer!