Matutuíne District 2.44

Matutuíne District is a district of Maputo Province in southern Mozambique. The principal town is Bela Vista. The district is located in the south of the province, and borders with the city of Maputo in the north, the province of KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa in the south, Swaziland in the west, and with Namaacha and Boane Districts in the northwest. In the east, the district is limited by the Indian Ocean. The area of the district is 5387km2. This is the southernmost district of Mozambique. It has a population of 37,165 as of 2007.GeographyThe principal rivers in the district are the Maputo River and the Tembe River. There are several lakes in the district.The climate is subtropical, with the annual rainfall being around 1000mm at the coast and 600mm in the interior.HistoryThe area has been recorded in the 17th century as populated by Machavane people. In the 18th century it was conquered by a local chief Maputsu. In the 19th century the state he established still existed and was paying tribute to the Zulu Kingdom. Subsequently, the Portuguese took over the administration.