Central Region | |
|---|---|
 Central Region in Malawi | |
| Coordinates:13°37′28″S33°31′48″E / 13.62444°S 33.53000°E /-13.62444; 33.53000 | |
| Country |  Malawi |
| Capital | Lilongwe |
| Area | |
• Total | 35,592 km2 (13,742 sq mi) |
| Population (2018 Census) | |
• Total | 7,523,340 |
| • Density | 211.38/km2 (547.46/sq mi) |
TheCentral Region ofMalawi, population 7,523,340 (2018), covers an area of 35,592 km2. Its capital city isLilongwe, which is also the national capital. The region has an outlet onLake Malawi and borders neighbouring countriesZambia andMozambique. TheChewa people make up the majority of the population today.
The Central region is bounded on the north by theNorthern Region, on the east byLake Malawi, on the southeast bySouthern Region, on the southwest byMozambique, and on east byZambia.
Central Region straddles the western edge of theEast African Rift. Lake Malawi occupies most of the rift valley, with a narrow plain running along its western shore. Much of the region lies on a plateau, known as the Central Region Plateau or Lilongwe Plain. The plateau covers 23,310 square km (9,000 square miles). A belt of hills and escarpments separates the plateau from the rift valley lowlands to the east.[1] TheDwangwa, Bua, andLilongwe rivers drain the plateau, emptying eastwards into Lake Malawi.
The southwestern boundary of the region is mountainous, including the northern end of theKirk Range andDedza Mountain (2,198 m).
Of the 27districts in Malawi, 9 are located within the Central Region. They are:Dedza,Dowa,Kasungu,Lilongwe,Mchinji,Nkhotakota,Ntcheu,Ntchisi, andSalima.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 2,143,716 | — |
| 1987 | 3,110,986 | +3.79% |
| 1998 | 4,066,340 | +2.46% |
| 2008 | 5,497,252 | +3.06% |
| 2018 | 7,523,340 | +3.19% |
| source:[2] | ||
At the time of the2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of the Central Region byethnic group was as follows:[3]
