Niassa is Mozambique's largest province, covering approximately 16 per cent of the country's total area. It is also the least densely populated province, with an average of only seven people per square kilometre. Large areas of the province are almost totally uninhabited, with the population tending to be concentrated in the plateau areas and Niassa's less isolated southern parts. The province consequently remains one of the world's last genuine wildernesses, and still looks today much as it must have done to Dr Livingstone as he explored the African bush almost 150 years ago. It is a unique point of departure for the development of conservation and ecotourism and also offers unparalleled agricultural opportunities due to its temperate climate.
Ethnically the province is a mixture of Makua, who comprise around 55 per cent of the population, primarily in the south and east around Cuamba; Yao, who comprise around 37 per cent, in and around Lichinga; and Nyanja, who comprise around 8 per cent, in the area bordering Lake Niassa.
Lichinga is the capital of the province, with a population of around 75,000 inhabitants. The town is the main gateway to the Mozambican side of Lake Niassa, known to Malawians as Lake Malawi, and is also a good point of departure from which to explore the wild beauty of the Niassa Reserve. For places to stay whilst in Lichinga and other parts of Niassa, please see our accommodation section.