Lilongwe District – From 1947 township to capital in 1975
Lilongwe was officially declared a township in 1947, a small centre in the farmlands of Malawi's Central Region. On 1 January 1975, after a building period of about ten years, it was declared the country's new capital, replacing the much smaller southern city of Zomba. The move brought government offices, new districts and rapid growth, and it deeply changed the lives of the communities living in the area.
Today the district covers 6,159 km² and has around 1.35 million inhabitants. The city lies at about 1,050 metres above sea level, with a mild climate. Do you have stories, photos or memories of Lilongwe's growth over the decades? Share them with our community!