Lilongwe

Lilongwe
Parliament of Malawi, King's African Rifles War Memorial, Old Town
Lilongwe Location of Lilongwe
Coordinates: 13°59′S 33°47′E / 13.983°S 33.783°E / -13.983; 33.783Coordinates: 13°59′S 33°47′E / 13.983°S 33.783°E / -13.983; 33.783
Country	Malawi
Region	Central Region
District	Lilongwe
Government
• Mayor	Willie Chipondera[1]
Elevation	1,050 m (3,440 ft)
Population (2015)National Statistical Office of Malawi
• Total	1,077,116
• Density	1,479/km2 (3,830/sq mi)
Time zone	CAT (UTC+2)
Climate	Cwa
Website	www.llcitycouncil.org/

Lilongwe is the largest and capital city of Malawi with an estimated population of 1,077,116 for 2015. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, near the borders with Mozambique and Zambia, and it is an important economic and transportation hub for central Malawi.^[2] It is named after the Lilongwe River.

History

Lilongwe had existed for centuries as a small fishing village on the banks of the Lilongwe River. During British Colonial Rule, the settlement became an administrative centre due to its strategic location. Formally founded in 1906^[3] as a trading post, Lilongwe was officially recognised as a town in 1947.^[4] After gaining independence, it increasingly developed into an important trading centre in Malawi's central region. Its growth was encouraged when the country's former head of state, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, established it as Malawi's new capital city in 1975.^[5] The last government offices were relocated to Lilongwe in 2005.^[6] The city's population is increasing rapidly, with an annual growth rate of 4.3%.^[2]

Politics

Local Government

Lilongwe is governed by Lilongwe City Council, which is dominated by governing DPP.^[1]

Demographics

Geography

Topography

Lilongwe is located on a plateau in Central Malawi, forming part of the East African Rift Valley situated at an altitude of 1,050 m (3,440 ft) above sea level, along Lilongwe River.

Climate

Lilongwe features a humid subtropical climate that borders on a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwa), with pleasantly warm summers and mild winters. Due to the altitude, temperatures are lower than would be expected for a city located in the tropics. Lilongwe features a short wet season that runs from December to March and a lengthy dry season that covers much of the remainder of the year, particularly June and July which are cooler than the rest of the year. However, the city sees heavy downpours during its rainy season, seeing around 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of rain in a month during the wettest months.

Divisions

The City Centre of Lilongwe

Lilongwe is divided into a New and Old City. The former hosts hotels, embassies, governmental institutions and offices while the latter has markets, bus stations, cafes and restaurants. The modern shops of the City are contrasted by the street and walled markets of Old Town.^[5]

Economy

See also: Economy of Malawi

While Blantyre is the commercial Capital of Malawi, Lilongwe's economy is dominated by the government and public institutions. Kanengo District in the north of the city is the main industrial area, where food processing, tobacco storage and sales, maize storage and other light industries take place. Finance, banking, retail trade, construction, transport, public administration, tourism, and tobacco manufacturing are the main economic activities in the city. 76 percent of Lilongwe's population live in informal settlements, while poverty stands at 25 percent and unemployment at 16 percent.^[6] The civil service employs about 27 percent of all formal workers, while 40 percent work in the private sector and 2 percent are self-employed.^[2]

Society and culture

A craft market in Lilongwe

Leisure and Entertainment

A variety of bars and night clubs offer opportunities for live music and parties.^[10]

Transportation

Lilongwe to Johannesburg bus

Airport

Lilongwe International Airport (LLW) is located to the north of the city.^[11]

Buses

There are regular bus services from Lilongwe to Blantyre, Zomba, Kasungu and Mzuzu.^[12]

Rail

There is a rail service to Lilongwe. To the west the line runs towards Zambia, and to the east to Salima.^[13]

Education

There are 38 private and 66 public primary schools with a total of 103,602 pupils as well as 29 secondary schools with 30,795 students in Lilongwe.^[2]

Sports

A new national stadium with a capacity of 40,000 is currently being constructed with the help of a $70 million loan from the Government of the People's Republic of China.^[14]

Twin towns – Sister cities

Lilongwe is twinned with:

• Taipei, Taiwan (since 1984)^[15]
• Lusaka, Zambia (since 2004)^[16]

References

• Gerke, W.J.C. & Viljoen, Charl J. Master Plan for Lilongwe the Capital City of Malawi (Johannesburg: Swan Publishing, 1968)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lilongwe.

Lilongwe travel guide from Wikivoyage