Massingir District is a district of Gaza Province in southwestern Mozambique. The administrative center of the district is in Massingir. The district is located in the west of the province, and borders with Chicualacuala District in the north, Mabalane District in the east, Chókwè District in the southeast, Magude District of Maputo Province in the south, and with South Africa in the west. The area of the district is 5893 km2. It has a population of 28,470 (2007).

Geography

The Rio dos Elefantes and the Mazimulhpe River are the principal rivers in the area. Many rivers are seasonal and flow only during the rainy season. There are 10 lakes in the district. The Massingir Dam is located on the Rio dos Elefantes and is an important breeding ground for the Nile crocodile. The climate is tropical dry semi-arid, with the average annual rainfall being between 600 mm. Limpopo National Park, part of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, is shared between Massingir, Chicualacuala, and Mabalane Districts. The area of the park within Massingir District is 2100 km2.

History

The district was established in 1972, after the construction of the dam.

Demographics

As of 2005, 45% of the population of the district was younger than 15 years. 20% of the population spoke Portuguese. The most common mothertongue among the population was Tsonga. 74% were analphabetic, mostly women.

Administrative divisions

The district is divided into three postos, Massingir (three localities), Mavoze (three localities), and Zulo (three localities).

Economy

4% of the households in the district have access to electricity.

Agriculture

In the district, there are 3,500 farms which have on average 3.8 ha of land. The main agricultural products are corn, cassava, cowpea, peanut, sweet potato, and rice.

Transportation

There is a road network in the district which includes 130 km of a national roads (Massingir to Chokwe) and 376 km of secondary roads. None of the secondary roads are paved, and most are in a bad state.