Mangochi District

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Location of Mangochi District in Malawi MW-Mangochi.png
Location of Mangochi District in Malawi

The Mangochi District is a district in Malawi. It is bordered by Mozambique to the east and north Salima to the north. To the west, it is bordered by Dedza. Traveling south, the road climbs up the Machinga escarpment to Zomba, the former colonial capital of Nyasaland, and from there to Malawi's commercial hub of Blantyre (named after David Livingstone's hometown near Glasgow). It is fiercely hot in summer and ambient in winter. It is on the flood-plain for Lake Malawi (formerly Lake Nyassa). The lake is the third largest and most southerly in the Rift Valley lake system (the others being Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika), and is unofficially known as the Lake of Stars. The lake was named by David Livingston as he discovered it on September 18, 1859, for the effect of the reflection of the sun on the water's surface. It is also known as the Calendar Lake as it is approx 365 miles (587 km) long and 52 wide.

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It has natural minerals, loads of fish, Nkopola Lodge and Sun and Sand Palm Beach. One of the finest lodges is Club Makokola (Club Mac). There are beautiful tropical fish, mostly cichlids, to be seen while swimming. There are also many fabulous bird rookeries along the lake with fish eagles, the national bird of Malawi, [1] a member of the same genus as the American bald eagle. Mangochi is well known with its lake that generates income in the tourism industry. Most of the indigenous people of Mangochi are the Yao people, and there are a few from other tribes. Lingamasa is known with its fresh rice that is sold in most parts of the country.

Demographics

At the time of the 2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of Mangochi District by ethnic group was as follows: [2]

Government and administrative divisions

There are thirteen National Assembly constituencies in Mangochi:

  1. Mangochi - Central
  2. Mangochi - East
  3. Mangochi - Lutende
  4. Mangochi - Malombe
  5. Mangochi - Monkey Bay
  6. Mangochi - Nkungulu
  7. Mangochi - North
  8. Mangochi - North East
  9. Mangochi - South
  10. Mangochi - South West

In the 2009 general election most of these constituencies (except Mangochi Monkey Bay, which has been held by members of the Democratic Progressive Party) have been represented by politicians from the United Democratic Front. [3] This trend did not continue though. The Mangochi - Nkungulu constituency was represented by UDF member Aisha Adams and UDF's Lilian Patel was the MP for Mangothi East in 2024. Others included Francesca Masamba was the DPP member for the East constituency and Victoria Kingstone was the central MP. [4]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zomba, Malawi</span> Place in Southern Region, Malawi

Zomba is a city in southern Malawi, in the Shire Highlands. It is the former capital city of Malawi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangochi</span> Place in Southern Region, Malawi

Mangochi is a township in the Southern Region of Malawi. Located near the southern end of Lake Malawi, in colonial times it used to be called Fort Johnston. As of 2018, it has a population of 53,498.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monkey Bay</span> Place in Southern Region, Malawi

Monkey Bay or Lusumbwe is a town in Mangochi which is in the Mangochi District in the Southern Region of Malawi. The town is on the shore of Lake Malawi and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi. The population of Monkey Bay was 14,955 according to the 2018 census. Monkey Bay is 206 kilometres (128 mi) from Lilongwe, Malawi's capital city, and 253 kilometres (157 mi) from Blantyre. Monkey Bay is a tourist resort and is often travelled through on the road to Cape Maclear.

Dedza is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. It covers an area of 3,754 km.² to the south of the Malawi capital, Lilongwe, between Mozambique and Lake Malawi and has a population of 830,512. The capital is Dedza.

Likoma District is the least populous district of Malawi, which consists of two separate exclaves of Malawi situated within Mozambican waters in Lake Malawi. It consists of two main islands, Likoma and Chizumulu. It is a district in the Northern Region of Malawi. The capital is Likoma. The district covers an area of 20 km², and has a population of 14,527.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ntcheu District</span> District of Malawi

Ntcheu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. It borders with the country of Mozambique. The district headquarters is Ntcheu, known as BOMA in the local language, but is most commonly called Mphate. It is run by Yeneya, the village headman. The district covers an area of 3,424 km.² and has a population of 659,608 people according to the 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census. The Ntcheu district lies around halfway between Malawi's majors cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe - the capital city.

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Salima is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The city of Salima is the district's capital. The district covers an area of 2,196 km.² and has a population of 478,346. The beach at Senga Bay is the weekend retreat of many from the capital, Lilongwe, and has hosted the annual Lake of Stars festival since 2008, when it was moved from Chintheche in order to be less remote. There is a range of accommodation options in the area, though most are a few kilometers off the main road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zomba District</span> District of Malawi

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Liwonde National Park, also known as Liwonde Wildlife Reserve, is a national park in southern Malawi, near the Mozambique border. The park was established in 1973, and has been managed by the nonprofit conservation organization African Parks since August 2015. African Parks built an electric fence around the perimeter of the park to help mitigate human-wildlife conflict. In early 2018, the adjacent Mangochi Forest Reserve was also brought under African Parks' management, almost doubling the size of the protected area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nkhata Bay</span> Place in Northern Region, Malawi

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Maclear</span> Place in Southern Region, Malawi

Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town in the Mangochi District of Malawi's Southern Region. The town, on the Nankumba Peninsula, is on the southern shore of Lake Malawi and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi. Cape Maclear is close to the islands of Domwe, Thumbwe and Mumbo Island on Lake Malawi, and is in Lake Malawi National Park.

Malawi, officially known as the Republic of Malawi, is a country located in southeastern Africa. The country is also referred to as "The Warm Heart of Africa", due to the friendliness of the people.

Lake Malawi Museum is a museum on Lake Malawi in Malawi. Situated in the Old Gymkhana Club and organized by the Society of Malawi since 1971, the museum is located near the Queen Victoria memorial near the Bakili Muluzi Bridge in Mangochi town, Mangochi District, within the Southern Region of Malawi.

Malindi is a town in the Mangochi District, in the Southern Region of Malawi.

Clement Terence Chiwaya was a Malawian politician who served as an MP for Mangochi Central from 2004 to 2019. He was also Minister of Social Development and Persons with Disabilities from 2004 through 2005.

Esther Jolobala is a Malawian politician who has served in the Parliament of Malawi since 2014, representing the Machinga East constituency as a member of the United Democratic Front. In 2024 she was the UDF's spokesperson.

Victoria Kingstone is a Malawian MP for central Mangochi in southern Malawi. In 2021 she also became a member of the Pan-African Parliament.

Francesca Theula Masamba is a Malawian politician who has represented the Mangochi East constituency since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

References

  1. "Bird Watching | Activities in Malawi | Malawi Tourism | Malawi Safari | Malawi Attractions". www.malawitourism.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  2. 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census Main Report
  3. "Parliament of Malawi - Members of Parliament - Mangochi District". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
  4. "PWC Home – PWC Malawi" . Retrieved 2025-01-15.

14°30′S35°15′E / 14.500°S 35.250°E / -14.500; 35.250