Likoma District
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.
History
Whereas Portuguese missionaries colonized the interior of Angola and Mozambique in the 19th century, Anglican missionaries colonized Malawi, including the islands in Lake Malawi.In 1954, an agreement was made to make the middle of Lake Malawi the border between Malawi and neighboring Mozambique; however, Likoma and Chizumulu islands were kept as part of Malawi.
Demographics
At the time of the 2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of Likoma District by ethnic group was as follows:- 73.8% Nyanja
- 9.2% Chewa
- 9.1% Tonga
- 3.1% Tumbuka
- 1.4% Yao
- 1.2% Ngoni
- 1.1% Lomwe
- 0.4% Nkhonde
- 0.2% Mang'anja
- 0.1% Sena
- 0.1% Lambya
- 0.0% Sukwa
- 0.3% Others
Culture
The Likoma people are mostly fishermen and speak a traditional Nkamanga language. There are mostly small villages on both islands, with the exception of Mbamba with an Anglican cathedral. There are few cars but plenty of four-wheelers, creating a unique blend of tourism and local culture.Geography
The district covers an area of 20 km2 and has a population of 14,527 at the 2018 Census. The population density is thus approximately 726 people per square kilometre. It is the smallest of Malawi's districts. There is one airport, on the main island.Main Towns
- Likoma
- Mbamba
- Chiguluwindi
- Chinyanya
- Chiponder
- Batmanlevels
- Chipyela
Government and administrative divisions
There is a single National Assembly constituency representing the Likoma Islands:- Likoma Islands