Quelimane [key], town (1989 est. pop. 78,500), capital of Zambézia province, E central Mozambique, a seaport on the Rio dos Bons Sinais near its mouth in the Indian Ocean. It is a trade center and terminus of a railroad extending c.100 mi (160 km) into the interior. Exports include palm products, sisal, and tea. Fishing is an important industry, and the town has one of the world's largest coconut plantations. The Portuguese founded a trading station at Quelimane in 1544, and the town was an important slave market in the 18th and 19th cent. The name is also spelled Quilimane, Kilimane, and Kilimani.
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