Zambezia is the second most-populous province of Mozambique, located in the central coastal region south of Nampula and north of Sofala. It has a population of approximately 3.5 million (2002). The provincial capital is Quelimane on the Bons Sinais River.

Zambezia has a total area of 103,127 km², much of it drained by the Zambezi River. Much of the coast consists of mangrove swamps, and there is considerable forest inland.

Agricultural products include rice, maize, cassava, cashews, sugarcane, coconuts, citrus, cotton, and tea; the country's largest tea estates are at Gurue. Fishing is especially productive of shrimp, and gemstones are mined at several sites.

Vasco da Gama landed at the site of Quelimane in 1498. Shortly after, the Portuguese established a permanent presence, and many moved up the Zambezi into the interior, for many years the farthest inland European presence (although over time there was much intermarrying, and few residents were of purely Portuguese descent).

Stamps and postal history of Zambezia

25-reis value of the King Carlos issue of 1898, along with the hexagonal postmark typical of the Portuguese postal system.

Although Zambezia was a part of the Portuguese East Africa Colony, the Portuguese government issued separate postage stamps for it starting in 1894, with the standard design depicting King Charles, and likewise in 1898. A provisional issue came in 1902 to reflect changed rates, then after the revolution of 1910 there were several issues overprinted "REPUBLICA".

The postal districts of Quelimane and Tete were created from parts of Zambezia in about 1913, and then stamps of Mozambique replaced stamps of Zambezia around 1920.

External links

• http://www.mozambique.mz/provinc/zambezia/eindex.htm