Zomba District

Zomba District is one of twelve districts in the Southern Region of Malawi, surrounded by the districts of Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Mulanje, Phalombe, Machinga, Balaka and the Republic of Mozambique to the east. The total land area is 2,363 km2, representing three percent of the total land area of Malawi. The capital is Zomba. Geography Zomba District is bounded on the north by Machinga District, on the east by Mozambique, and on the south by Phalombe, Mulanje, and Chiradzulu districts, on the southwest by Blantyre district, and on the northeast by Balaka District. The Shire River forms the northwestern boundary of the district, and the northwestern portion of the district lies in the Shire River Valley, a portion of the East African Rift. The Shire Highlands run from north to south through the district, including the Zomba Plateau. The highlands form the divide between the Shire River basin and the basin of Lake Chilwa. The Phalombe Plain lies east of the highlands and west and south of Lake Chilwa. The central and eastern portions of the district lie in the closed basin of Lake Chilwa, and several small rivers drain from the surrounding highlands into the lake. The Domasi River forms part of the northern boundary of the district. The Phalombe River and its tributary the Namadzi form the southern boundary of the district, separating it from Phalombe, Mulanje, and Chiradzulu districts. The Likangala River and its tributary the Thondwe River drain the central portion of the district eastwards into lake Chilwa. Lake Chilwa's extent varies with rainfall and evaporation, and the lake is surrounded by broad seasonal wetlands. Demographics The district has a total population of 746,724 (2018) resulting in a population density of 316 persons per km2, more than half (52.6%) of whom are 18 years or younger. The annual population growth rate over the last decade was two percent. Chinyanja is the native language spoken by most of the inhabitants, although other languages like Chiyao and Chilomwe are also spoken. The two dominant religions are Christianity (78%) and Islam (20%).