| Njesi Highlands | |
|---|---|
| Serra Jeci | |
  Njesi Highlands | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,843 m (6,047 ft) [1] |
| Coordinates | 12°35′58.34″S35°15′32.1″E / 12.5995389°S 35.258917°E Coordinates: 12°35′58.34″S35°15′32.1″E / 12.5995389°S 35.258917°E [1] |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Portuguese |
| Geography | |
| Country | Mozambique |
| Province | Niassa |
The Njesi Highlands (Portuguese: Serra Jeci) are a range of mountains in northern Mozambique.
The highlands rise east of Lake Malawi in the western portion of Mozambique's Niassa Province. They are north of Lichinga, the provincial capital. The highest peaks are three inselbergs, the Njesi Plateau (1,843 m), Mount Chitagal (1,784 m), and Mount Sanga (1,782 m). The three peaks form part of a ridgeline that runs southwest to northeast. The Njesi Plateau is the southernmost peak, 30km from Mount Chitagal, and Mount Sanga is 25 km north of Mount Chitagal. [1] Lake Malawi known in Mozambique as Lake Niassa, lies in the East African Rift, and the ridge and the highlands form part of the rift valley's eastern wall.
The western slope of the highlands is drained by the Messinge River, and the Luchulingo River drains the eastern slope. Both rivers are northward-flowing tributaries of the Rovuma River. The Messinge River valley separates the Njesi Plateau from Serra Macuta, a similar plateau lying to the west.
The highlands are mostly covered in miombo woodland, and are in the eastern Miombo woodlands ecoregion. The three peaks include patches of Afromontane forest, higher-elevation evergreen forests which are home to species distinct from those of the surrounding lowlands. Other higher-elevation plant communities include Afromontane grassland and protea shrubland. [1]
In the 20th century the mountains had been little surveyed by biologists, due in part to the long Mozambican Civil War from the mid-1970s to the 1990s. [2]
Large mammals include the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus), leopard (Panthera pardus), side-striped jackal (Canis adustus), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), and yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus). [2]
21st-century biological surveys of the mountain have documented some limited-range and endangered animals living in the highlands. These include the Mozambique forest warbler (Artisornis sousae) which is endemic to the highlands and lives in the Afromontane and riparian forests. It was identified as a separate species in 2016, and had previously been classed as a subspecies of the long-billed tailorbird (Artisornis moreaui), which is found over 900 km north in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Other bird species found in the highlands include the montane nightjar (Caprimulgus poliocephalus), eastern green tinkerbird (Pogoniulus simplex), dark batis (Batis crypta), yellow-streaked greenbul (Phyllastrephus flavostriatus), Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), dapple-throat (Arcanator orostruthus), green twinspot (Mandingoa nitidula), Southern citril (Crithagra hyposticta), and Vincent's bunting (Emberiza vincenti). [1]
Tanzania comprises many lakes, national parks, and Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro. Northeast Tanzania is mountainous, while the central area is part of a large plateau covered in grasslands. The country also contains the southern portion of Lake Victoria on its northern border with Uganda and Kenya.
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. It is wholly within the tropics; from about 9°30S at its northernmost point to about 17°S at the southernmost tip. The country occupies a thin strip of land between Zambia and Mozambique, extending southwards into Mozambique along the valley of the Shire River. In the north and north east it also shares a border with Tanzania. Malawi is connected by rail to the Mozambican ports of Nacala and Beira. It lies between latitudes 9° and 18°S, and longitudes 32° and 36°E.
The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Eastern Highlands extend north and south for about 300 kilometres (190 mi) through Zimbabwe's Manicaland Province and Mozambique's Manica Province.
The Ethiopian Highlands is a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia in northeast Africa. It forms the largest continuous area of its elevation in the continent, with little of its surface falling below 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while the summits reach heights of up to 4,550 m (14,930 ft). It is sometimes called the Roof of Africa due to its height and large area. Most of the Ethiopian Highlands are part of central and northern Ethiopia, and its northernmost portion reaches into Eritrea.
The Viphya Mountains, also known as the Viphya Plateau or Viphya Highlands, are a mountain range in Malawi's Northern Region.
The Kipengere Range, also known as the Livingstone Mountains, lies entirely in Njombe Region in southwest Tanzania at the northern end of Lake Nyasa. Near Lake Nyasa they are known as the Kinga Mountains. It is a plateau-like ridge of mountains running southeastwards from the basin of the Great Ruaha River in the north to that of the Ruhuhu River in the south, and forms part of the eastern escarpment of the East African Rift. The range is mostly clad in montane grasslands, renowned for their botanical diversity and displays of flowers, with montane evergreen forests mostly in stream valleys.
The Eastern miombo woodlands (AT0706) are an ecoregion of grassland and woodland in northern Mozambique, southern Tanzania, and southeastern Malawi.
The wildlife of Mozambique consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southeastern Africa. Mozambique has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife. This includes 236 species of mammal, 740 species of bird and 5,692 species of vascular plant. The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot, with significantly high levels of biodiversity, stretches from the southern tip of Mozambique into northeastern South Africa.
The long-billed forest warbler, also known as the long-billed tailorbird, is a songbird of the family Cisticolidae, formerly part of the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat destruction.
Niassa Reserve is a nature reserve in Cabo Delgado Province and Niassa Province, Mozambique. Covering over 42,000 square kilometres, it is the largest protected area in the country. The reserve is part of the Trans-Frontier Conservation Area and links to the Tanzanian Lukwika-Lumesule Game Reserve. It will connect to the Lake Niassa Reserve when it is completed.
The dark batis is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Batis in the wattle-eye family, Platysteiridae. It is found in highland forest in south-west Tanzania, northern Malawi, and northern Mozambique. These birds were formerly thought to be forest batises but in 2006 were described as a new species based on differences in morphology and mitochondrial DNA from those birds in northern Tanzania and Kenya.
The South Malawi montane forest-grassland mosaic is an ecoregion of Malawi.
The Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Southern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. It is a southern variation of Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. The ecoregion supports habitats of forest, savanna and swamps. The southern portion of the ecoregion is not as well studied due to the 1977-1992 civil war in Mozambique.
The Angolan montane forest-grassland mosaic ecoregion is located on the east-facing inland side of the belt of mountains that stands parallel to the coast of Angola, 50–100 km inland.
The Southern Highlands is a highland region in southwestern Tanzania, at the northern end of Lake Malawi. The highlands include portions of Mbeya, Njombe, Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Songwe regions, bordering Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Mbeya is the largest city in the highlands.
The Umalila Mountains are a mountain range in southern Tanzania, on the border with Malawi. The Umalila Mountains are part of Tanzania's Southern Highlands.
The Choa Mountains are a mountain range in Manica Province of Mozambique. The mountains lie in Báruè District, west of Catandica.
The Mozambique forest warbler is a songbird of the family Cisticolidae, formerly part of the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in the Njesi Highlands of northern Mozambique. Its natural habitat is montane evergreen and riparian forests.
Mount Mecula is a mountain in northern Mozambique. It is located in Niassa Province, near the center of Niassa National Reserve.
Mount Yao is a mountain in northern Mozambique. It is located in Niassa Province, in Niassa National Reserve. The mountain is named for the Yao people who live in the area around the mountain.