Mueda Plateau
The Mueda Plateau, also called the Maconde Plateau, is a high plain in Cabo Delgado Province in northeastern Mozambique. It lies between the Ruvuma River to the north (the border with Tanzania) and the Messalo River to the south, with a steep western edge that drops to the plains. The highest parts rise over 1,000 meters and the plateau covers about 1,715 square kilometers. The Makonde people live on the plateau and in nearby lowlands, and across the Ruvuma River to the north lies the Makonde Plateau in Tanzania.
Geology and soils: The land is made of metamorphic and volcanic rocks, and the soils are nitisols, which can be good for farming in some areas.
Climate and vegetation: The town of Mueda sits at about 847 meters above sea level, with about 1,093 mm of rain per year and an average temperature of 21.9°C. Most rain falls from October to April. The area has a mix of miombo woodlands, dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, dry thickets, and grasslands. The miombo woodlands include trees from the Brachystegia and Julbernardia genera.
Forest loss: About 2,332 square kilometers were densely vegetated 150–100 years ago, but by 2002 only 89 square kilometers remained densely vegetated, a loss of about 96%.
Farming: The Makonde people traditionally practiced swidden (shifting) agriculture with a three-crop cycle: they cut trees and grow vines (beans, pumpkins, cucumbers) on the stumps, then plant maize, then millet, and let the trees regrow for 6–9 years.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:45 (CET).