Due to its position on a narrow sand strip between the sea and a small sea inlet at Chiveve its future seemed to be doomed.

Its survival and development was due to the installation of harbour and railways facilities. The railway line to Zimbabwe was concluded in 1897 and it was followed by another to Malawi in 1922 run by the Trans-Zambezia Railway Co. and the harbour facilities were inaugurated in 1929. For many years Beira was known as the “corrugated iron town” as the great majority of its buildings were made of this material.
The small settlement on the right bank of the Chiveve, consisted of the buildings of the Military Post and a few huts. Eventually it grew into a modern and prosperous town, going through an expansion period in 1930 when it reached Macuti while the Maquinino area suffered a radical change in the 60’s.

The industrial development of the city in the 50’s altered its economic profile until greatly dependent on the harbour and railway facilities. At present the city has a population of 410.000 inhabitants and covers an area of 643 km2 divided in 26 suburbs.

Dondo which gained city status in 1956 is located at the junction of an important road and railway system and in the 50’s of last century saw the emergence of many industrial
factories with emphasis in cement and fibro-cement production.

Today the city covers an area of 382 km2 divided into 10 suburbs and has a population of 61.345 inhabitants.

The village of Marromeu is situated in an sugar cane plantation area and in the past the open savannahs in the region were renowned for the richness in wildlife.
It has a population of17.800 inhabitants covering an area of 144 km2 and divided in 8 suburbs.