Which country has Lilongwe as its capital?

Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi. The city lies in Malawi’s central region and serves as the country’s political and administrative center.

Lilongwe began as a settlement associated with the local Njewa chief and became an administrative post around 1902. Its location on important roads helped it develop into a regional trading center. After Malawi became independent in 1964, President Hastings Kamuzu Banda selected Lilongwe as a national growth point in 1965.

Lilongwe officially replaced Zomba as Malawi’s capital in 1975. Government offices moved gradually, with the final offices relocating in 2005. Zomba remains an important historic city, while Blantyre is widely regarded as Malawi’s commercial capital—two facts that can cause confusion in quizzes.

The city is named after the Lilongwe River. It is also Malawi’s largest city, with nearly 1 million residents recorded in the 2018 census. Parliament and many government institutions are located in the Capital Hill area.