Tete

The hottest province in the country Tete is home to the giant Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambeze River, one of the biggest dams in Africa, and the fifth in size in the world. Tete is also the mother land of Nyau dance, a UNESCO world heritage patrimony.
Typical to this area is the long-lived baobab a legendary tree closely associated to the daily life of the local population which may reach a girth of 8 metres and a height of 6 to 15 metres.
Another attraction is the Tchuma Tchato community development program in the region of Bawa focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources as a means of economic self-sufficiency.
Tete is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River and is noted for its contrasts, on the one hand the natural beauty of the landscapes, the “embondeiro” tree (baobab), associated with ancient legends, vast green valleys and on the other hand, the gigantic man-made Cabora Bassa Dam, an amazing feat of engineering and technology.
It is the second largest dam in Africa and the fifth largest in the world. The reservoir has a surface area of 2000 Km2, is 270 Km long and at its widest point reaches over 30 Km.
The main ethnic groups here are the Nyanja and the Nyeuegwe and the Sena. The wealth of the region lies in its minerals and agriculture and cattle farming. Ecotourism is also a potentially strong area still to be developed
In the less known more remote areas, there are wide varieties of wild animals.
It is an important transport junction between the North, with Zambia, the East with Malawi, the West with Zimbabwe and connecting in the South, the Provinces of Manica and Sofala.

Points of note about the Province
• Home to the hydroelectric Cahora Bass Dam
• A province rich in mineral resources such as coal, gold, iron and fluorite amongst others.

What to visit
• The suspension bridge over the River Zambez, built during the 1960’s, links the city of Tete to the carboniferous centre at Moatize.
• The Boroma Church, partially in ruins but which still testifies to the grandeur of this Jesuit Church built at the end of the XIX century.
• The Fort of S. Tiago Maior de Tete, a Portuguese military construction dating back to the XVI century.
• The “fonte nicho” (a natural spring used for water supply, the architecture of which has a strong Portuguese influence) at Vila de Angónia.
• The traditional huts built in the traditional way, with wooden stakes and stones, reeds and clay and covered with a thatched roof are still fairly common in some districts of the Province.
• The Cabora Bassa Dam, in Songo is well worth a visit.
• Tchuma – Tchato Game
• The Stone Forest, which seems to be unique fossil forest in Southern Africa.