Angoche

Angoche is a district, city and municipality located in Nampula Province in north-eastern Mozambique. The district has limits in the North with Mogincual District, in the South with Larde District, to the east with the Indian Ocean and to the west with Mogovolas District. The principal town is Angoche (known as António Enes in the colonial period). It is located 185 km from the provincial capital, Nampula City.

The coastal plains in the region are dissected by some rivers that ascend from the coast to the interior, gradually passing to a more dissected relief with more steep slopes in between, from the transitional subplateau zone to the coastal zone. This zone corresponds to the coastal area of the province. It is characterized by its sandy soils, washed to moderately washed, predominantly yellow to greyish-brown, whether in the inland sandy cover (Ferralic Arenosols) or in the coastal sandy dunes (Haplic Arenosols), and also by the soils of the strip of coastal sandstone, from sandy to loam sandy clay loam with orange color (Ferralic Arenosols). The hydromorphic sandy soils of depressions and lows alternate with the higher ground parts (Gleyic Arenosols).

Demographics

The following statistics are from the 2017 census.

Population and Density

In the 2017 census the population has increased to 341,176 with the rise of density to 101.8 inhabitants per km².

In 2007, the Census indicated total population of 276 471 residents. The population density was around 92.59 inhabitants per km². According to the 1997 Census, the district had 228,526 inhabitants, resulting in a population density of 76.5 inhabitants per km².

Gender

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"

! align="left" |Gender

! align="right" |Population

! align="right" |%

| align="left" |Female

|168,452

|51.50%

| align="left" |Male

|178,724

|48.50%

Administrative and political units

Subdivisions

The Angoche district is divided into four administrative posts: Angoche, Aube, Boila-Nametoria and Namaponda. These posts are, in turn, composed of the following localities.

{| class="wikitable"

!Administrative Post

!Localities

|Angoche-Sede

|Angoche

|Aúbe

|Aube

Catamoio

|Boila-Namitoria

|Boila

Nabruma

Malapa

|Namaponda

Political leadership / Government

The district government is represented by an Administrator, which is the highest local government rank. Since 1975, 9 District Administrators have been appointed by different Mozambique Presidents:

(2021 - ) Bernardo Alide
(2015 - 2021) Rodrigo Artur Ussene
(2009 - 2016) Fonseca Etide
(2005 - 2009) José Carlos Amade

Economy

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

Agriculture is one of the most dominant activity in Angoche and involves almost all households. In general, agriculture is practiced manually on a small scale farms or family farms.

The farm plantation mechanism is based on the intercropping of local crops. Agricultural production is predominantly done under rainfed conditions, not always successful, as the risk of crop loss is high, given the low moisture storage capacity in the soil during the growing period of the crops. There are also small irrigation infrastructures with the capacity to carry out surface irrigation and dams with the potential to irrigate small agricultural areas. The coastal strip is dominated by the production system based on the cultivation of cassava, intercropped with grain legumes such as cowpea and peanut. Upland rice is the crop produced in the alluvial plains of the main rivers that drain the coast and estuarine plains, and is normally produced in floodplains prepared for this purpose.

It is also worth mentioning the importance of coconut and cashew trees in the coastal zone's production system, either as a product that guarantees food security or as a source of income for rural families. The cashew agroforestry system is the most representative, even becoming dominant. The most important intercropping of cashew, comprises crops such as cassava and corn, following the traditional pattern of rotation and fallow in the medium and long term, depending heavily on the age of the cashew trees and their productivity. A peculiarity of the area is that practically all the cassava is within the cashew tree area. The coconut palm in the province has a wide distribution towards the interior. It was only in 2003, after the period of drought and drought that followed and the rehabilitation of some infrastructures, that farming in the district was timidly restarted and production levels recovered. Livestock promotion in the district has been weak. However, given the tradition in raising cattle and some existing infrastructure, there was some growth in the livestock population.

Due to limited investing and financing mechanism the livestock is not well developed, although the existence of pasture areas. Lack of extension services is also one of the main obstacles to its development.

Mangrove trees are used for firewood and building material. The district is struggling with erosion problems. Wildlife is an important food supplement for local families. Among the most hunted species are rabbits, gazelles and guinea fowl. In addition to the species already mentioned, the wildlife in the district also includes antelopes and monkeys.

Fishing in the district is more focused on shrimp, to the detriment of other species and valuable resources consisting of lobster, squid, octopus and crab. There are two fishing companies in the district, Pesca Norte and Mawipi Pescas.

Commerce. Industries And Tourism

The Angoche district already had a very important agro-industry activity. Today, of the 12 companies in the district's industrial park, only 3 are operational. The small local industry (fishing, carpentry and handicraft) appears as an alternative to agricultural activity, or extension of its activity. The district has a total of 22 small industries. The district has access to an extensive network of markets, due to its road links with Nampula and the Nacala corridor, and the existence of the port in Angoche. Traders from Nampula, Cabo Delgado and Tanzania come to the district to buy local products. The district has excellent areas for tourism, including the following: Praia Nova, 7 km from the city of Angoche; Monte Parapato, Praia da Rocha, Quelelene Island, Mafamede Island, among others. Other local attractions to mention are the Municipal Cemetery, Campo do Sultão Hassane Yossufo, the Cadeia Civil Building, the Sangaje lighthouse and the Luís de Gonzaga Church in Malatane.

Mineral Resources

Like other districts in the country, Angoche has enormous potential in different types of mineral resources, among others. Since colonial times, Angoche has been the target of prospecting, research and geological mapping programs in order to identify its potential.

According to the geological studies, Angoche has huge quantities of heavy (Zircon, Ilmenite, Rutile, titanium) minerals deposits along of its coastal plain. This mineral are currently been explored by a consortium of companies from China, Ireland and the United States. And as per mining catalogue (2021), except 1 for the limestone exploration license, most of them (16) are designated for heavy mineral exploration. Although there are many companies in exploration and licensing phase, its importante to mention one of the key players exploring and producing the heavy sands in Angoche district are Kenmare Resources (An Irish-American Enterprise), África Great Wall Mining Development Co(Chinese), a subsidiary of Hainan Haiyu Mining Co. Ltd.

Oil and Gas

Following the public tender launched by INP in October 2014, for the concession of areas for exploration and production of hydrocarbons, 2 offshore blocks was awarded in October 2018 to multinational oil companies. Area A5-A awarded to a consortium led by Eni 34.5%(Italy), in partnership with, Sasol 25.5%(South Africa), QatarEnergy 25.5% (Qatar) and National Oil Company ENH 15% (Mozambique); while the deeper Area A5-B was awarded to ExxonMobil 40% (USA), Roseneft 20%(Russia), QatarEnergy 10% (Qatar), Eni 10% (Italy), and National Oil Company ENH 20% (Mozambique). Along the 8 years of exploration period, the companies are obliged to implement exploration programs with consists of shooting 3D seismic surveys of 8,000 km<sup>2</sup> from each area and undertake at least 1 exploration drilling activities in each area before any surrender and abandonment. According to local authorities, the preliminary studies indicate that the offshore Angoche is an oil-pron province, for this reason the local communities, provincial and central government is very positive about the project.

In 2019, both Eni and ExxonMobil along with environmental consulting companies have visited the districts and neighboring regions in order to fulfil all the requirements for environmental permit for drilling activities to take place in Q1 2022.

Sustainability

Firewood and charcoal are the most used energy sources.