According to abbreviationfinder, Lilongwe is the capital and largest city of Malawi, it was founded in 1947 as an agricultural center. The city is divided into two parts, the “old city” full of markets, shops and other services and the “new city” where the government headquarters, embassies and large commercial areas are located. Lilongwe has an agrarian university.
History
The founding of the city dates from 1947; Although it was chosen as the capital in 1964, after the declaration of independence, it could not exercise effectively due to the total absence of the necessary infrastructures. He did not effectively practice until 1975. In that year the capital was moved from Zomba, the place where he had provisionally established.
Geography
The Malawian geography is dominated by Lake Nyasa or Malawi, which occupies a quarter of the entire surface of the country and is the third largest in Africa. To the north of it rises the Nyika plateau, and to the south is the Mulanje massif, where the highest altitudes in the country are reached, exceeding 3,000 meters. Lilongwe is located in the Central Region of Malawi, on the banks of the Lilongwe River, near the border with Mozambique and Zambia
The climate is tropical with two seasons, with high and uniform temperatures throughout the year that increase from north to south, unlike rainfall, whose abundance is greater in the north and center of the country (from 1,600 to 1,200 mm per year), while in the south they decrease below 800 mm per year.
The majority ethnic group in Malawi is the Bantu. The urban population barely reaches 12%; 866,272 people live in Lilongue. See population of Malawi.
Flora and fauna
The area that surrounds the capital is occupied by extensive savannahs dotted with trees such as acacia or baobab. In them you can see large herbivores such as zebras or giraffes.
Economic development
Lilongue is the capital, but it is not the main economic center. This fact is noticeable in the scarce textile industry in the city that is dedicated, essentially, to the manufacture of textiles. The bulk of the population is dedicated to agricultural work such as the cultivation of tobacco and peanuts.
Tourist attractions
In Lilongue the traveler will find a varied nightlife with discos and bars where to spend a pleasant evening. There are hotels that have their own nightclubs and organize live shows. Its best tourist spots are outside the city, to the northwest the Kasungu National Park, to the north the Nkhotakota Reserve and to the east Lake Malawi.
Culture
Crafts
The basis of the country’s craftsmanship are the precious woods of ebony and cedar.
Holidays and traditions
In this country many festivities are celebrated throughout the year, especially New Years, on January 1; Independence Day, July 6, or Christmas, December 25.
Heritage
The most important and characteristic buildings in Lilongue are the Lilongwe Golf Club and the Natural Sanctuary.
Transport
Lilongwe is served by rail services provided by Malawi Railways and buses by Shire Bus Lines. It also has urban buses and minibuses between the old town (Old Town in English), the city center (City Center), the Kamuzu International Airport, and with other cities such as Mzuzu and Blantyre. Taxis can be found at hotels and on Presidential Way, north of the City Center Shopping Center. Traffic on most streets is often congested, and most residents prefer to walk or cycle. Kamuzu International Airport, located about 35 kilometers north of Lilongwe in Lumdazi, offers flights to South Africa, Kenya, Dubai and Ethiopia.
