The Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique in Portuguese) is located on the southeastern coast of Africa bordering Tanzania to the north and South Africa to the south. The country was a Portuguese colony from the early sixteenth century until it achieved independence in 1975. Independence was followed by a long and bitter civil war that ended in 1992. Since then increased stability has improved the country's economic situation and opened it to foreign visitors. Mozambique has the longest coastline of any continental African country, more than 2500 km (1565 mi) in length, facing the island of Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel. The major ports are Pemba in the north, Quelimane and Beira in the center, and Maputo (the capital) in the far south. Mozambique is divided into 10 provinces plus the capital district. This page includes lighthouse in the northern half of the country in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Zambezia. The Zambezi River provides a natural border between northern and southern halves of Mozambique. Portuguese continues as the language of government and trade in Mozambique. The Portuguese word for a lighthouse is farol, plural faróis; a small lightbeacon is often called a farolim. In Portuguese ilha is an island, ilhéu is an islet, cabo is a cape, ponta is a promontory or point of land, rocha is a rock, recife is a reef, baía is a bay, estreito is a strait, rio is a river, and porto is a port or harbor. Aids to navigation in Mozambique are the responsibility of the National Institute of Hydrography and Navigation (INAHINA). ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.
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Cabo Delgado Province Lighthouses
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Nampula Province Lighthouses
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![]() Ilha de Mafamede Light, Angoche, 2018 INAHINA photo |
Zambezia Province Lighthouses
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Tanzania | East: Comoros, Madagascar | South: Southern Mozambique
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Posted June 21, 2005. Checked and revised February 20, 2025. Lighthouses: 38. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.