Tete is a hinterland province located in the central part of Mozambique. It has an area of 97 285 km ² and a population of 1 489 843 inhabitants (according to 2007 census). Its capital is the city of Tete. The province in the northeast shares its borders with Malawi, the northwest with Zambia, the south-west with Zimbabwe and the provinces of Manica and Sofala to the South. It is traversed by the Zambezi River which in its middle section we find the Cahora Bassa Dam, one of the greatest in Africa.

The Zambezi River divides the Province of Tete in two agro-climatic regions, which are used as economics regions - the Region North of the Zambezi, that groups the districts of Zumbo, Marávia, Chifunde, Macanga, Angónia, Tsangano, Chiúta, Moatize and Mutarara; e the Southern Region, consisting of the districts of Mágoé, Cahora-Bassa, Changara and the City of Tete (Tete Provincial Government, 2005: 2).

The Tete Province is constituted by 13 districts, including the City of Tete, which in turn, is subdivided in 33 administrative areas with 102 localities. Three of the districts of the province have the municipal statute, namely the City of Tete and the villages of Songo and Moatize.

The province possesses several natural and marginal areas that provide high potential for the development of the contemplative tourism, adventure, fishing and hunting sport. However, the communication network is still very weak for the districts with higher tourist potential.

However it is in course the construction of some hotels in the city of Tete.

Limits:

North-West: Zambia

South: Manica and Sofala

South-West: Zimbabwe

North-East: Malawi

Population density: 7 inhabitants/km²

Climate:

The province of Tete possesses great climatic variety: to the South, enclosing the districts of Changara, Cahora Bassa, Mágoé and a part of Moatize, the climate is hot and dry. To the North, in the districts of Tsangano, Angónia, Chifunde, Chiuta, Macanga and a small part of Moatize, predominates the cold climate of altitude. This diversity results in a great variety of forest formations associated to a considerable faunal population.

Forest formations:

Due to its climatic variety, the province of Tete presents a great flora diversity with different ecosystems of which the most relevant are the Miombo and Mopane.

• The Miombo ecosystem lies in the northern region and predominate in it the genus Brachystegia speciformis, frequently associated to Jubernardia globiflora e Isobelina. This ecosystem coincides with unimodal precipitation zones, in the high zones of the province, with values that vary between the 650 and 1400 mm.

• The Mopani ecosystem encompasses a narrow band to the North and South of the Zambezi River, with greater incidence in the low areas of the southern region of the province.  In it predominates the species Colophospermum Mopani, intercalated with Acácia spp. This region is located in the hot rainy tropical zone, where it occurrs the greater precipitation between the months of November and April. The average precipitation varies between 450 and 710 mm. The landscape is generally flat or gently undulated with the soil formed primarily by Precambrian granite being the sedimentary basaltic rocks of ecological and archaeological importance.

The two ecosystems have an excellent ecological, social and economic value, either for the wealth of its flora species as for the rich diversity of fauna species, some of which of great hunting interest. In the ecosystem of Miombo, the zones of Gandali, 35 km of the headquarters of the district of Macanga and of Campala e Cadzula, in the district of the same name, predominate elephants, kudos, papa-palas, lions and zebra. The zone of Chiandime, n Tsangano district, also have a considerable number of species of fauna, such as buffalos and papa-pala. However, in this ecosystem has less fauna density than in the Mopani ecosystem.

The Mopani ecosystem is part of the international ecosystem such as of the zone of Chinthopo/Bawa which spreads to the district of Guruvé in Zimbabwe, and Luangwa in Zambia. The Tchuma Tchato Programme is established in it and has promoted tourist activities, as contemplative tourism, hunting and fishing sport. Due to its localization and to its regional importance, for possessing international corridors for elephants, the area of Chinthopo/Bawa and part of the Zumbu District is enclosed in the initiative of transfrontier management known by ZIMOZA that it involves the Zimbabwe, Moçambique and the Zambia.

One of the great icons of the region is the Baobab, a secular and sacred tree, that is closely related to life of the populations of the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Inhambane and Tete, and which widely spread in this province. It is a tree of great bearing whose trunk reaches the diameter of 8 m, depending on age, and a height between 6 and 15m. The trunk is crowned by very thick branches with relative ly few leaves. Its fruit, malambe, of bittersweet flavour, apart from  being very appreciated as food is also used as an aphrodisiac. This tree is part of the fictional universe of the people, being inexhaustible stories counted from generation to generation where it is the main personage.

Ethnic languages and groups:

Tete Province has many linguistic differences and several ethnic groups that constitute its historical and cultural heritage. Beyond the official language, the Portuguese (only 3% of the population have the Portuguese as a mother language), the more spoken languages are the Cinyanja (48,4%), the Cinyungue (28%) and the Cisena (12%). Other languages, spoken in small dispersed communities in the province still exist, that include the Nsenga, the Tawara, the Chicunda among others.

Religion:

The majority of the population of the province has the traditional cult of the ancestor and the remaining a religious sincretismo that unites the catholic religion and the protestant. Thus, 43,9% of the population declare themselves with no religion, 22.7% are Catholic, 17,5% Zionist, 4,3% Protestant/Evangelic, 3,5% Witness of Jehovah and 0,4% Muslim (INE, 1999: 37).

Zones of historical importance:

Tete possesses some areas and monuments considered of national patrimony.They include:

Church S. Peter de Cláver de Miruru: located in the District of Zumbo, 25 km from of the town of the same name. It is considered one of the greatest catholic churches of the country. Both the interior as the exterior it has colorful stained-glass windows of sacred art. This church was very famous and it is in many pictures of the country. It has historical, architectural spiritual value.

The Grave of Chief João: place where they have been buried a in common ditch men and women brought from the village of Chief João, in  27 November 1964, for suspicion to have adhered to Frelimo. This action provoked the exodus en masse of the population for the neighboring Republic of the Zambia. To be pointed out that, not far from there, in the area of Mitarnbowa, it wascarried out the Congress of the COREMO (Revolutionary Comité of Moçambique), independentist movement that it intended to fight against the Portuguese colonization.

Fortress of Zumbo: located in the town of Zumbo which had the function of storage of slaves for posterior commercialization in the neighboring Republic of the Zâmbia. From the fair of slaves, these were carried to several parts of the world. It is now in ruins, almost nothing remaining of it.

Phiri ya Mbunu: an island located in Zambezi River in the district of Zumbo. It is in a hill known for Mountain of the Boer, that it was the starting point of the Boers for its military operations. There are caves similar to windows, people believing that still exists there abandoned military materia.

Ruins of Kanyemba: place where Kanyemba is buried, a warrior who fought against the colonial yoke. The grave of Kanyemba has the form of a spiral and it is a few meters of the Tchuma Tchato camp of Bawa.

Kalomwe-Kafue: a mountain ridge with the format of a train, hence being known as the Train Mountain. It can be seen well from the town of Mágoé.  On its top there are utensils left fof the local espírits, such as clay pots, beads among others.  There are varied faunal species and beautiful flora formations.

Mission of S. José de Boroma: Jesuit Mission situated 25 km of the city of Tete. Apart having a school EP2 (primary education of 2º class), the church, established in 1884, is a historical monument for for being one of the oldest churches of the province. It was built on a hill from where it can appreciated the imponent and dazzling scene of Zambezi River and the vilage of Boroma.

Fortresses of S. Tiago Maior and of D.Luís: located in the City of Tete. The first one is next to the bridge on the Zambezi River. It was the first one to be built as base for the penetration of the Portuguese along the Zambezi until the a city of Tete on their way to the interior to the Empire of Mwene-Mutapa, with the objective of exploring the natural resources (gold, ivory and silver) and to acquire slaves. The second was built between 1835 and 1836 to reinforce the protection provided by the fortress of S. Tiago Maior, It is situated in a ridge with intention to detect the long-distance enemy.

Village of WiIliam: it is 25 km fromf Tete and there is a monument to remember the place where, the 16 of December of 1972, there was a massacre of the populations, perpetrated by the colonial regime, for having adhered to the FRELIMO.

Monument of the Martyrs de Ntengowa Minga: situated in the town of Furangungo, district of Macanga, 167 km from Tete, with a thorny vegetation area called Ntengo Wa Minga. It is a stony place, next to a precipice of about 100 meters in height for where the PIDE/DGS (political police of the dictatorial Portuguese regime) took the Frelimo political prisoners in order to torture them and later thowing them down the precipice. There are still today human bones of the victims. The monument was raised in homage to the victims on the 25 June 1979.

Cave of Katundu: it is in the town of Furancungo, district of Macanga. Katundu was a famous chief during the tribal wars. It served as a shelter to the population of the zone when it noticed the presence of the enemy in the area. It has a capacity to shelter about 350 people. Beyond this cave there is also the Kapala Cave, in the Chidzolomondo, and of Ngoma wa Chinsamba Cave, in Furancungo.

Stone House: situated in the district of Macanga, Administrative Post of Chidzolomondo. There are two versions on the origin of the monument: the first one is of that it was constructed by a white Portuguese called Brito who had lived there. The second says that the place was a strategic point to face attacks by locals in the wars of resistance against the colonial occupation.

The Grave of Zinthambira: situated in the village of Folotia, the 10 km from the town of Ulóngue. Zinthambira was a chief of the Nguni dynasty, an ethnic group that emigrated from the South to fix itself in the zone of Angónia. It was a warlike group that fought against other moçambican etnic groups and the occupation of the Portuguese.

Locality of Muchena: it is situated 135 km from the village of Chiuta where it exist an underground prison and the carcass of the first steam car.

Songo Zimbabwe: it is a stone wall of piled rocks, located in the village of Songo, district of Cahora Bassa. It was constructed by the Madema population, between 1250 and 1450. Its original name is Katuta Mabwe, which means shipment of rocks.

Other zones of tourist attraction:

Cahora Bassa Dam: situated the in the District of same name. It is one of the great hydroelectric-dams in the world which not only supplies electric energy for Moçambique but also for the Republics of the South Africa and Zimbabwe. Its hydroelectric-power potential is not yet explored to its maximum capacity.

Cahora Bassa Lake: it encloses the Districts of Cahora Bassa, Mágoé, Marávia and a part of Zumbo. It is a place of excellency for the hunting tourism and leisure. In addition to possessing great fish variety which attracts the lovers of fishing sport, also possesses islands of great natural beauty. Its banks attract a great diversity of faunal species such as elephants, cudos, impalas, lions, buffalos, monkeys, among others. Besides that there is a considerable amount of hipopótamos and crocodiles as well as great variety of birds.

The great companies of semi-industrial Kapenta fishing (type of fresh water fish) are installed either in the banks of this lake or in its several islands, in camps, some to accomodate tourists.

The company Organizations Palmeiras has been developing, besides Kapenta fishing, the bredeing of crocodiles for the exploitation of their skin and meat. It also intends to develop the breeding of crocodiles for leisure tourism. It is building a hotel to accomodate tourists who want to do fishing sport beyond the leisure activities.

Mountain range of Chiuta: it lies a few kilometers from the town of Chiúta. It has rock paintings and on top, a fresh water spring. A beautiful landscape can be seen from the mountain top. Its infrastructures, if rehabilitated, can lodge tourists.

Mulambe Safaris: it is a company who intends developing hunting activities for tourism. Their main camp lies about 20 km from Chiuta.

Safaris de Moçambique: it is the company who, in partnership with the Program Tchuma Tchato, has developed hunting and fishing activities for tourism.

Ugezi Tiger Lodge: one of the tourist enterprises situated in Kaliote, near Songo, district of Cahora Bassa. It practises the hotel industry besides fishing and aquatic sports.

Nadzwandzwa: it is a mountain chain that meet two kilometers from the District of Zumbo, where there are pools of fresh water, with fish and a hot spring. Its localization allows to sight of the Luangwa and Zambezi Valleys as well as the borders of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Zambia. In it can be found a variety of faunal species such as cudos, mountain goats, among others.

The Programme Tchuma Tchato de Chinthopo/Bawa:  this programme is illustrates the benefits from the proceeding of the use of the natural resources for the economic development of the local communities. Its base camp lies in the confluence od the Zambezi and Luangwa Rivers, known as Zungunukei (meaning eddies). This programme has developed hunting safaris and has potentiality for the development of fishing sport and of the contemplative tourism in the areas of Nyarnulombwe e Nyadewe. Besides these places there is the Mbirira River 35 km from the base camp.

Kankhungulo: located in the area of the Tchuma Tchato of Bawa. In this place there is a hot water spring, that sprouts of the rocks and flows into the Zambezi River.

Nakamwa: also in the area of Tchuma Tchato of Bawa, have  permanent waters that spring beneath a tree and disappears a few meters away. The animals use this place to drink water.

The Programme Tchuma Tchato of Daque: is the second one, after the pilot project of Bawa. Its base camp is situated 45 km from the village of Mágoé, area where there have been hunting activities. The place also possesses potentiality for the development of fishing sport, aquatic activities and contemplative tourism (in the zone of Kalomo Kafue). It also possesses fósseis of trees with great archaeological value. A fresh water spring exists in Inhangome and a hot water one in Cachingude. Due to the traditional rituals performed here, this area has been protected by the population of the village.

Jeque: lies in the area of Tchuma Tchato of Daque where a great baobab exists. There is a lagoon with permanent water.

The zone of Catipu: situated in the village of Nhaondwe, District of Moatize, 44 km from the junction to Matema. It has a hot and salty water spring, where salt is extracted. There is evidence of a conduit which the Portuguese used toextract salt.

The Cataracts of Moatize: is three kilometers from the town of Moatize, in the place where the Nthinje River flows into the Rovubue River. The cataracts have attracted many local tourists.

Bridge on the Zambeze River at Tete: known as Bridge Samora Machel, it links the townships of capital city and through it the transport to the neighboring countries, such as the Zambia, through the border of Cassacatiza (293 km from Tete), Malawi, through the border of Zóbue (126 km) and Zimbabwe, through the border of Cuchamano (191 km) and for the province of Manica.

Bridge Dona Ana on the Zambezi River: 300 km downstream from Tete, District of Mutarara. It links the provinces of Tete and Sofala.

Sacred areas:

Chimwala: located in the District of Zumbo between the areas of Muze and Chicoco. It is a puddle of permanent water. According to local belief, people cannot bath there as the water can disappear, but it can be used for drinking.

Zambue: this myth (what mith?) is related with two pigeons (male and female). It it cannot disobey to its requirements.

Nhadewe: is a waterfall that forms a lagoon where fishing can be practice. As it is considered sacred, the spirits have to be consulted before fishing.

Nororo: it is also a sacred place. It is a space consisting of light soil and fine sand with, approximately four meters of diameter. The population believes that big animals that pass by there can disappear. Therefore, only wartdogs and monkeys are seen there.

Capessa: located in Administrative Post of Chonthopo, District of Mágoé where a tree with a hole exists. The tradition says that, inside exists a big snake with many colours whose head is not possible to see. To be seen it is necessary to ask the local spírits.

Monte Zóbue: situated in the locality of Gandali, District of Moatize. It is another sacred place where the populations carry its cerimónias. According to belief, it exists a spirit called Napulu there. During droughts the populations go there to pray to the spirits of ancestors for rain. There is a cave that was used by the Frelimo guerrillas to hide its ammunition.

Gastronomy:

The province, has diverse typical plates that can please the different tastes of visitors such as: white flour mass of maize with diverse types of curry, such as trifles of goat known in the region for the name of N'kongue, grilled or cooked Pende fish or cooked, different vegetables prepared in many forms/ways. Also if it can be proved the flour mass of mapira of meichoeira.

Traditional drinks:

The following traditional drinks are made in this province:
- Pombe: with different ingredients such as bran, sugar and maize flour
- Cachaço: made of local fruit (maçanica), bran, tamarisk  and amarula (m' fula) respectively;

Fruits of the Region:

- Malambe(baobab fruit): fruit with nutritional power, from where it is made traditional yogurte , sweets and traditional drinks, maçanica, tamarisk (ussica and amarula) m' fuIa, massucu etc.

Fish of the Zambezi River:

Varied species of fish exist in this river, namely:

• Pende Fish, being of first category and is the most used  for prepare of typical Mozambican plates.

• Tiger Fish known for N´tsen (Ncheni), N' kolokolo, Tsimbo, Mulamba, M´beri Tsenga, lamprey (m´biyo) among others species.

Birds:

Along the Zambezi River, it can be appreciated  the variety of bird species amongst them; Black and White Stork in known in the region for acaouas.

Hot springs:

• Hot springs - located in the headquarters of the District of Moatize, with spiritual characteristic, 50 km from this town.

• Thermal Watersl/Lukewarm - situated 5 km of the town of Moatize, in Chipanga, of spiritual.characteristic

• Hot springs - located in Administrative Post of Cachembe, village of Boroma the 35 km from Tete and 102 km from the village of Changara.

• Salty hot springs - located in the District of Moatize, locality of Catipo 25 km from Tete.