Nacala, city in northern Mozambique, in Nampula province. Nacala is located on the Indian Ocean, 160 km (100 mi) northeast of Nampula and 60 km (40 mi) north of the city of Moçambique. Nacala has air and navy bases and some industrial development, including a cement factory. Sisal, copra, and cotton are produced in the surrounding region. Although the potential of the city's deep natural harbor has long been recognized, major development of the port and completion of rail connections inland only occurred in the late 1960s. Railroads link Nacala to Lichinga in Niassa province and to Malawi's rail network. This route, called the Nacala Corridor, was intended to provide Malawi with a shorter, more reliable connection to the sea than by way of the alternate route through Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. Damage to rail lines and economic disruption in northern Mozambique, during the struggle for independence in the early 1970s and during the insurrection by antigovernment guerrillas in the 1980s, vastly reduced shipments through Nacala. It currently handles less than 5 percent of the country's total port traffic. Population (1991) 125,208.
