Chizumulu Island
Encyclopedia
Chizumulu Island is the smaller of two inhabited islands in Lake Malawi
, the larger being the nearby Likoma island
which together make up the Likoma District
. Both these islands lie just a few kilometres from Mozambique
, and are entirely surrounded by Mozambican territorial waters
, but belong to Malawi
. They are therefore exclaves of Malawi. This came about because the islands were colonised by Anglican missionaries
spreading east from Malawi, rather than by the Portuguese
who colonised Mozambique.
Chizumulu can be reached by steamer
from the port of Nkhata Bay
on the mainland of Malawi. The MV Ilala steamer that weekly crosses Lake Malawi stops at Chizumulu. Smaller boats including dhow
s cross the strait
between Likoma and Chizumulu.
The island supports a population of about 4,000 people. Like Likoma, the island imports most of its food from the mainland. There is electricity
on the island from 6am-10pm (with a break between 12-2pm), and no road. However, there is a well-constructed path which runs around the outside of the island, which can be walked around in about three hours.
The island consists of two large hills, with a flatter area to the south. Cassava
plantations cover much of the lower slopes of the hills, with the upper parts being forest
ed. Many baobab
trees are present.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, the larger being the nearby Likoma island
Likoma Island
Likoma Island is the larger of two inhabited islands in Lake Malawi , in East Africa, the smaller being the nearby Chizumulu. Likoma and Chizumulu both belong to Malawi, and together they make up the Likoma District...
which together make up the Likoma District
Likoma District
Likoma District is an exclave of Malawi situated within Mozambique consisting of two main islands, Likoma and Chizumulu in Lake Malawi . It is a district in the Northern Region of Malawi...
. Both these islands lie just a few kilometres from Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, and are entirely surrounded by Mozambican territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
, but belong to Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. They are therefore exclaves of Malawi. This came about because the islands were colonised by Anglican missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
spreading east from Malawi, rather than by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
who colonised Mozambique.
Chizumulu can be reached by steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
from the port of Nkhata Bay
Nkhata Bay
Nkhata Bay or just Nkhata is the capital of the Nkhata Bay District in Malawi. It is on the shore of Lake Malawi , east of Mzuzu, and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi. The population of Nkhata Bay is estimated to be 14,722 as of 2008. Nkhata Bay is from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, and ...
on the mainland of Malawi. The MV Ilala steamer that weekly crosses Lake Malawi stops at Chizumulu. Smaller boats including dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
s cross the strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
between Likoma and Chizumulu.
The island supports a population of about 4,000 people. Like Likoma, the island imports most of its food from the mainland. There is electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
on the island from 6am-10pm (with a break between 12-2pm), and no road. However, there is a well-constructed path which runs around the outside of the island, which can be walked around in about three hours.
The island consists of two large hills, with a flatter area to the south. Cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
plantations cover much of the lower slopes of the hills, with the upper parts being forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed. Many baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
trees are present.