Monkey Bay

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Monkey Bay
Lusumbwe
Beach at Cape Maclear near Monkey Bay
Beach at Cape Maclear near Monkey Bay
Monkey Bay is located in Malawi
Monkey Bay
Monkey Bay
Location in Malawi
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  Malawi
Region Southern Region
District Mangochi District
Elevation 1,630 ft (500 m)
Population (2008)[1]
 • Total 14,591
Time zone +2
Climate Aw
File:Monkey bay main road.JPG
Main north-south street of the town.

Monkey Bay or Lusumbwe is a town in Mangochi which is in the Mangochi District in the Southern Region of Malawi. The town is on the shore of Lake Malawi and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi.[2] The population of Monkey Bay is estimated to be 14,591 as of 2008.[1] Monkey Bay is 206 kilometres (128 mi) from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, and 253 kilometres (157 mi) from Blantyre. With a population of about 500,000, Lilongwe is Malawi’s largest city.[3] Monkey Bay is a tourist resort and is often travelled through on the road to Cape Maclear.[4]

History

Monkey Bay was ruled by the Muslim Yao chief and slave trader, Mponda, during the 1880s.[5] In the late 19th century, the first Bishop of Likoma, Chauncy Maples, drowned near Monkey Bay in Lake Malawi.[6] In the 1960s, there was a Fisheries Research Laboratory in Monkey Bay, funded by the then-Nyasaland colonial government.[7]

Geography

Monkey Bay is on the shore of Lake Malawi and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi.[2] It is at an elevation of 1,630 feet (500 m).

Monkey Bay is situated 4 miles (6.4 km) away from Chimpamba, 2 miles (3.2 km) away from Zambo, 1 mile (1.6 km) away from Msumbi and 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away from Mbalamanja.[8]

Living standards

In March 2003, the then-Malawian President Bakili Muluzi held a rally in Monkey Bay, and promised to help reduce poverty.[9] The charity Save the Children are active in the Monkey Bay area.[10] According to a German development volunteer working with the Back to School Foundation, the residents of Monkey Bay are not living at the poverty line, but at the existence line. Houses are simple clay cottages, and few households can afford electricity, as the connection costs alone are three times the average monthly wage.[11]

Facilities

Amenities

There is a supermarket and a market in Monkey Bay, although there are no banks, bureaux de change or automatic teller machines. There is not a functioning internet café although there are signs for one. There are several guesthouses.[12] The nearest ATM is in the town of Mangochi. On 22 February 2010, a first bank opened its doors. Malawi Savings Bank Agency which was operating from the Post Office building moved into their own convenience, a refurblished and spacious building at the Trading centre.

Transport

Monkey Bay is connected to Lilongwe and Blantyre by bus services.[12] The nearest airport is at Ulongwe, 49 miles (79 km) away.[8] Two passenger ferries make weekly sailings along Lake Malawi between Monkey Bay and Chilumba; the MV Ilala and the Mtendere.[13] The Ilala is 350-passenger steamship that has served the route since 1951.[14] In March 2003, the European Union funded improvements to the road linking Monkey Bay with Masasa and Golomiti.[15] In February 2006, the Malawian government announced plans to build a road from Monkey Bay to Cape Maclear.[16] In March 2006, there was no road access to Monkey Bay, after the worst floods since 1978 had washed away several miles of road and a bridge.[17] The rainfall measured around 158 millimetres (6.2 in) and several thousand people in the Mangochi District were made homeless.[18]

Education

In June 2008, Nankhwala Catholic School in Monkey Bay received a gift of £1,110 from a partner school, St Bernadette’s Primary School in Tullibody, Scotland. The relationship between the two schools was established after a priest from Monkey Bay visited St Bernadette’s.[19]

Medical

Monkey Bay has a hospital, but medical services are not extensive; surgery and diagnostics are however available in Monkey Bay.[20]

Law and military

Monkey Bay has a police station. It is also the headquarters of the 220-strong marine force of the Army of Malawi.[21][22]

Tourism

Monkey Bay has been described as "the country's best known resort" by Agence France-Presse,[17] and Factiva refers to Monkey Bay as the "best known resort-area" in Malawi.[23] The area has "sandy beaches and tropical fish",[18] and is popular with tourists.[21] There are diving schools in Monkey Bay, however, according to the Daily Telegraph, the schools are considered poor by tourists.[24] The town is also a transit point to Cape Maclear.

Demographics

Year Population[1]
1987 5 649
1998 8 793
2008 (estimate) 14 591

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]

External links

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