MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
Maputo (till 1976 Lawrence - Маrquish) - the capital of Mozambique and an administrative centre of a province of Maputo. The population is about 1098000 inhabitants.
The capital of the country has grown on the place of the built by the Portuguese’s fort incorporated in 1781; however ancient buildings almost were not saved. The first European visiting this region in 1544, Portuguese dealer Lawrence Marquise in honor of whom the city was named at the beginning. The capital has received the new name (Maputo) in 1976.
Maputo is the basic port of Mozambique on coast of Indian Ocean. Its freight turnover compounds about 10 million tons annually. Zambia and Zimbabwe which don’t have their own access to the sea use this abyssal port well protected from storm as well.
The city exports cotton, coal, sugar, sisal and articles of food. Here there are machine-building, oil refining, alimentary, leather-shoe and textile enterprises. There is an international airport.
Except for the Portuguese fort of the XVIIIth century, to the places of interest ultramodern square Моsino de Albuquerque belongs. In the city there are university, museum of national history and National library.