Lilongwe

Lilongwe, estimated population 597,619 (2003 census), is the capital of Malawi. It lies in the south west of the country, west of the Malawi River near the border of Malawi and Mozambique and Zambia. Lilongwe is located at [13°59′S 33°47′E] (-13.98333, 33.78333). [link]

Contents

1 History
2 Districts
3 Transport
4 General
5 Industry

History

The city started life as a small village on the banks of the Lilongwe river, and became a British colonial administrative centre at the beginning of the 20th century. Thanks to its convenient location on the main north-south route through the country and the road to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Lilongwe became the 2nd largest city in Malawi. In 1974, the capital of the country was formally moved from Zomba (the third largest city today in Malawi) to second largest, Lilongwe.

Districts

The city has many districts known as Areas, with the city centre not being a numbered area, the areas are not necessarily having consecutive numbering as you go from one area to another.

Notable areas are:

Area 1: Old Town (Centre)
Area 2: Old Town (North of A1) - closest to the city centre
Area 3: Old Town (West of A1) - West bank of Lilongwe river
Area 4: Old Town (West of A2) - West bank of Lilongwe River

Transport

There are local buses and minibuses which run between Old Town, the city centre and the airport. Taxis are available from hotels and a taxi rank on Presidential Way, North of City Centre Shopping Centre.

Lilongwe is served by Malawi Railways.

General

Lilongwe has many expatriates living there and as a result, food imported from abroad can be found in the large shopping centres and markets.

An agricultural college is located in Lilongwe. The rainy season is between October and April.The dry season starts from April to October. In between this period, June and July are cold months with August being windy and dusty.

Industry

Industry tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods Agriculture tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats Arable Land 34% Exports tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products Imports food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment Natural Resources limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite Current Environmental Issues deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations.

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