Kasungu
Encyclopedia
Kasungu is a town in the Kasungu District
of the Central Region
of Malawi
. The population of Kasungu is estimated to be 59,696 as of 2008.
Kasungu is approximately 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) north-west of the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe
, and is 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Kasungu National Park
. The main industry in Kasungu is tobacco
-growing.
.
lasts from May to October. The town receives, on average, between 500 millimetres (19.7 in)–1200 millimetres (47.2 in) rainfall each year.
and Mzuzu
. In June 2008, Central East Africa Railways announced plans to extend the rail line from Lilongwe to Kasungu.
, there are "no major attractions" in Kasungu. In June 2008, there was a petrol shortage in Kasungu, causing an increase in the sale of black market fuel. In May 2006, a branch of the Opportunity Bank of Malawi opened in Kasungu.
hospital. The hospital is often overcrowded, and suffers from a lack of nurses and anti-retroviral drugs. The hospital's 13-bed paediatric department can receive over 100 patients, leaving some patients on the floor. UNICEF-Hamburg
has sent over US$6000 to train care-workers in Kasungu.
"; the Kasungu area is suffering from depleted forests. A tribal chief stated in 2004 that over 250,000 people in Kasungu own no land. Tobacco is the only cash crop
grown in Kasungu, and the area has been described as a "tobacco heartland" by Xinhua News Agency
. The opening of Kasungu National Park in 1970 has increased tourism in the area. Due to their poverty, most residents of Kasungu live in houses made of hand-made dung bricks, covered by roofs of straw or corrugated iron. According to AllAfrica, Kasungu is a "child labour hotspot."
. The Member of the Malawian Parliament for Kasungu Central is Carrington Jimu. The MP for Kasungu North North West is Rodger Sithole, and the MP for Kasungu North West is Gerald Jere.
, Southall
, England
. A church in Kasungu also formed a relationship with two churches near Peterborough
, England in 2001. Parishioners from the two churches have travelled to Kasungu several times and have built a new church and a fish farm. In February 2008, the church group built a maize
mill in Kasungu.
In 2005 a famine occurred in Malawi, affecting 4.2 million Malawians. The efforts to distribute food to the needy were concentrated in Kasungu. During 2004 and 2005, there was an outbreak of cholera
, with eight people recorded to have suffered the disease.
s rioted with police, after five Malawians, suspected of being al-Qaeda
operatives, were arrested and taken into United States
custody. One demonstrator was treated for "serious gunshot wounds".
evacuated to a palace in Kasungu after he claimed that the presidential palace in Lilongwe was haunted by "evil spirits".
in the bush", was founded by the first President of Malawi, Hastings Banda.
Kasungu District
Kasungu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The capital is Kasungu. The district covers an area of 7,878 km², borders Zambia and has a population of 480,659....
of the Central Region
Central Region, Malawi
The Central Region of Malawi, population 5,491,034 , covers an area of 35,592 km². Its capital city is Lilongwe, which is also the national capital...
of 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...
. The population of Kasungu is estimated to be 59,696 as of 2008.
Kasungu is approximately 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) north-west of the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
, and is 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Kasungu National Park
Kasungu National Park
Kasungu National Park is a national park in Malawi. It is located west of Kasungu, about 175 km north of Lilongwe, extending along the Zambian border....
. The main industry in Kasungu is tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
-growing.
History
A farm close to Kasungu was the birthplace of the first President of Malawi, Hastings BandaHastings Banda
Hastings Kamuzu Banda was the leader of Malawi and its predecessor state, Nyasaland, from 1961 to 1994. After receiving much of his education overseas, Banda returned to his home country to speak against colonialism and advocate for independence...
.
Geography and climate
Kasungu is in central Malawi, lying at a height of 1342 metres (4,402.9 ft). It has a "warm tropical climate" and a rainy season that lasts from November–December to March–April. The dry seasonDry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
lasts from May to October. The town receives, on average, between 500 millimetres (19.7 in)–1200 millimetres (47.2 in) rainfall each year.
Demographics
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 11,591 |
| 1998 | 26,137 |
| 2008 (est.) | 59,696 |
Transport
Kasungu is served by buses and minibuses that travel to LilongweLilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
and Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city, by population, in Malawi. The City has 128,432 residents plus 20,000 commuters with about 1.7 million people living around the outskirts of the city...
. In June 2008, Central East Africa Railways announced plans to extend the rail line from Lilongwe to Kasungu.
Amenities
There are guesthouses, bars, restaurants, a supermarket and a petrol station in Kasungu; according to Lonely PlanetLonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
, there are "no major attractions" in Kasungu. In June 2008, there was a petrol shortage in Kasungu, causing an increase in the sale of black market fuel. In May 2006, a branch of the Opportunity Bank of Malawi opened in Kasungu.
Emergency services
Kasungu has a police station. The town is also home to a 179-bed government-funded districtKasungu District
Kasungu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The capital is Kasungu. The district covers an area of 7,878 km², borders Zambia and has a population of 480,659....
hospital. The hospital is often overcrowded, and suffers from a lack of nurses and anti-retroviral drugs. The hospital's 13-bed paediatric department can receive over 100 patients, leaving some patients on the floor. UNICEF-Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
has sent over US$6000 to train care-workers in Kasungu.
Land and economy
The land in Kasungu lacks nutrients and water, and is mostly "sand veldVeld
The term Veld refers primarily to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub...
"; the Kasungu area is suffering from depleted forests. A tribal chief stated in 2004 that over 250,000 people in Kasungu own no land. Tobacco is the only cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
grown in Kasungu, and the area has been described as a "tobacco heartland" by Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
. The opening of Kasungu National Park in 1970 has increased tourism in the area. Due to their poverty, most residents of Kasungu live in houses made of hand-made dung bricks, covered by roofs of straw or corrugated iron. According to AllAfrica, Kasungu is a "child labour hotspot."
Politics
Kasungu is a "stronghold" of the Malawi Congress PartyMalawi Congress Party
The Malawi Congress Party is a political party in Malawi.It was the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress , which was banned in 1959.The MCP was founded by Hastings Banda and other NAC leaders in 1960....
. The Member of the Malawian Parliament for Kasungu Central is Carrington Jimu. The MP for Kasungu North North West is Rodger Sithole, and the MP for Kasungu North West is Gerald Jere.
Foreign links
Kaluluma School in Kasungu has formed a relationship with Greenford High SchoolGreenford High School
Greenford High School is a mixed 11-19 secondary school with a comprehensive intake located in the London Borough of Ealing.-History:When it was built, in 1939, the then Greenford County School was a grammar school for boys and girls...
, Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. A church in Kasungu also formed a relationship with two churches near Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, England in 2001. Parishioners from the two churches have travelled to Kasungu several times and have built a new church and a fish farm. In February 2008, the church group built a maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
mill in Kasungu.
Famine and disease
Over 100 people died in a famine in 2002, according to official estimates; Kasungu was the worst affected area in Malawi.In 2005 a famine occurred in Malawi, affecting 4.2 million Malawians. The efforts to distribute food to the needy were concentrated in Kasungu. During 2004 and 2005, there was an outbreak of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, with eight people recorded to have suffered the disease.
June 2003 riots
In June 2003, Kasungu MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s rioted with police, after five Malawians, suspected of being al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
operatives, were arrested and taken into United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
custody. One demonstrator was treated for "serious gunshot wounds".
Evacuation of President
In May 2005, Malawian President Bingu wa MutharikaBingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
evacuated to a palace in Kasungu after he claimed that the presidential palace in Lilongwe was haunted by "evil spirits".
Chess championships
In January 2008, the African Junior Chess Championships were held at the Kamuzu Academy in Kasungu. The academy, which The Nyasa Times describes as "highly regarded" and "EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
in the bush", was founded by the first President of Malawi, Hastings Banda.