town, central Malawi (Malaŵi). It lies on the shores of Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi). It originated as a group of villages in the 19th century, served as a depot for Arab slave traders, and became the largest traditional African town in the country. It is situated on the slope of a rocky ridge overlooking a natural harbour, formed by a sand spit. A trading centre for the produce of the surrounding region (rice, corn 【maize】, cotton, fish), it also has a tourist industry depending upon natural hot springs. Nearby is the isolated 696-square-mile (1,802-square-km) Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (established 1954). Pop. (1998) 19,262.