Mozambique National Policy and Governance Assessment for Management of Marine and Coastal Resources

Mozambique, bathed by the Indian Ocean in its entire eastern side, is located in SouthEast Africa, between the parallels 10°27’S and 26°52’S. It is limited by Tanzania and Malawi, in its northern part; by Zambia and Zimbabwe, on the western side; and by Swaziland and South Africa, in its south-western and southern parts.

It has a terrestrial area of 801,590 Km2 and a coastline of more than 2,700 Km, being one of the longest in Africa. The continental shelf has an area of 120,000 Km2 (Mozambique National Coastal Strategy, 2004). Seven (Cabo-Delgado, Nampula, Zambézia, Sofala, Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo) of its ten provinces are coastal, and forty two (32.8%) of its one hundred and twenty eight districts are coastal. Six (Maputo, Xai-Xai, Inhambane, Beira, Quelimane, Pemba) of the ten important cities of the country, are located at the coast, being two (Maputo and Beira), the most important (Gove and Mechisso, 2010).