Likoma Island

Likoma Island

St Peter's cathedral in Likoma town
Likoma Island
Geography
Location	Lake Malawi
Archipelago	Likoma Islands
Total islands	2
Major islands	Likoma, Chizumulu Island
Area	18 km2 (6.9 sq mi)
Administration
Malawi
Region	Northern Region
District	Likoma
Largest settlement	Likoma
Demographics
Population	9,000
Pop. density	500 /km2 (1,300 /sq mi)

Likoma Island is the larger of two inhabited islands in Lake Malawi (also known as Lake Nyasa), in East Africa, the smaller being the nearby Chizumulu. Likoma and Chizumulu both belong to Malawi, and together they make up the Likoma District. Although both islands lie just a few kilometres from Mozambique, and are entirely surrounded by Mozambican territorial waters, they are both exclaves of Malawi.

The island has an overall area of 18 km², and is located in the north-eastern part of Lake Malawi, 7 km north-west of Cobue, Mozambique). The closest town on the Malawian coast is Chintheche.

In 1880 missionaries from the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, founded in response to a plea by David Livingstone, established their headquarters on Likoma Island. Due to the presence of British missionaries, the island was assigned to Malawi rather than Mozambique when national borders in East Africa were established after World War II.

Despite a high population density, the natural environment of Likoma island is largely unspoiled. The coast is varied, with rocky slopes, sandy bays and swamps. The interior of the island is mostly covered by grassland, with a large number of baobab trees (of the Adansonia digitata species) and mango trees. Fauna is mostly composed of small reptilians, amphibians, birds and a number of invertebrates, including scorpion spiders. On the coast, crocodiles are occasionally seen. The waters around Likoma, as is usual in Lake Malawi, host a number of cichlids; some species, such as Labidochromis caeruleus likomae, are endemic of the Likoma area.