Liwonde
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| Country | File:Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi |
| Region | Southern Region |
| District | Machinga District |
| Population (2018 Census[1]) | Template:Fix comma category |
| Population (2018 Census[1]) | |
• Total | Template:Fix comma category |
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| Template:Pluralize from text | Template:Pluralize from text |
| Time zone | +2 |
| Template:Pluralize from text | Template:Pluralize from text |
| Climate | Aw |
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Liwonde, or Livonde, is a town in the Machinga District of Malawi’s Southern Region. Situated in the Shire River valley, it serves as a key transport and commercial hub connecting the highways between Zomba, Lilongwe, Balaka, Machinga, and Mangochi. As of the 2018 census, the population stood at approximately 36,421
History
The town of Liwonde takes its name from Chief Liwonde, a Yao leader who was influential in the area.[2] In the 19th century, the Shire Valley became a key route for Yao migrants and Swahili-Arab slave traders, which brought disruption to local communities.[3]
In 1859, David Livingstone passed through the valley, documenting the region and calling international attention to the slave trade. His journeys later encouraged missionary and commercial activity.
In 1905, British traveler and explorer Mary Hall passed through Liwonde on her Cape Town to Cairo expedition. She had to disembark at Liwonde due to shallow river waters before continuing north by boat and machila. Her book A Woman's Trek from the Cape to Cairo (1907) records the journey.
The surrounding area was declared a Controlled Hunting Area in 1962 and upgraded to Liwonde National Park in 1973. The creation of the park led to population shifts as communities were relocated, contributing to the town's growth as a regional hub.
Geography
Located in Machinga District in the Southern Region of Malawi, Liwonde is located in the Shire River valley. Its main landmark is the road that connects Zomba to Lilongwe, making the town an important crossroads between Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi and Zomba.
Another important Liwonde landmark is the Liwonde National Park nature conservation area. The town thus serves as a dormitory, support center and access base for tourists and researchers traveling to Liwonde National Park. Trips to the interior of the park depart from Liwonde by sailing along the Shire River (year-round) or by car on the access roads.
Demographics
The main ethnic groups in the town are the Chewas and the Yaos, with minorities of the Ngoni and Lomwe peoples. There is an important group of expatriates left over from the Mozambican civil war, as well as Asian immigrants.
| Year | Population[4][1] |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 8,694 |
| 1998 | 15,701 |
| 2008 | 22,927 |
| 2018 | 36,421 |
Climate
In the region of the town of Liwonde, the tropical savanna climate (Aw) prevails, with a hot thermal sensation throughout the day.
Vegetation
The savannah that surrounds the town is characterized by the small amount of trees, especially the many bushes. Among the large trees, the baobab stands out.
Economy
Liwonde's economy is basically agricultural, centered on the production of corn flour, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, bananas, pumpkins, cassava, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, sugar cane, rice and beans. There is also an important breeding of goats for meat consumption, as well as poultry breeding for egg consumption.
As a regional hub for neighboring towns, Liwonde is home to retail shopping centers such as PTC, McConnell's and Euro Superette, which supply the town with food, sundries and beverages.
Infrastructure
In 2002, the town had a residential supply of water and electricity, but it was not available to the majority of the population. There was also landline and mobile telephony, with signal failures. Liwonde also had a hospital.
The town has a railway station on the Nacala railway, under concession of Central East African Railways. The town of Liwonde has one of the most important railway stations on the Nacala railway, linking Mwanza and Nkaya (west) to Nayuchi and Port of Nacala (east).[5]
References
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- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2018 Population and Housing Census Main Report" (PDF). Malawi National Statistical Office. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."liwonde-national-park". ecoTravelAfrica. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Origins & History of Liwonde National Park". Travelogues and Other Memories. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ World Gazetteer: Malawi: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ^ Nacala Corridor. Japan International Cooperation Agency. 2015.
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