Bangula is a town of about 5000 population in southern region district of
Nsanje
Nsanje (formerly Port Herald) is the main city in Nsanje District within the Southern Region of Malawi.
The intense urbanization in the fertile Shire River valley has formed an extensive urbanized zone that runs from the city of Bangula, furth ...
in
Malawi
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
. There is also a commune of the same name. Its elevation is 100m. It is located on the western bank of the
Shire River
The Shire is the largest river in Malawi. It is the only outlet of Lake Malawi and flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique. Its length is . The upper Shire River issues from Lake Malawi and runs approximately before it enters shallow Lake Malo ...
, near the confluence of the Shire and
Ruo River. After extensive flooding in
Chiromo (on the eastern bank of the Shire), the municipalities were moved to Bangula (postal and police).
The name Bangula is roughly translated to 'place where the lions roar' – although few to no lions exist in the area anymore.
Transport
Bangula was served by a station on the
Sena railway
Sena railway, also called Shire Highlands railway, Dondo-Malawi railway and North-South Malawi railway, is a railway that connects Dondo, Mozambique, Dondo, Mozambique, to Chipata, in Zambia. It is 1000 km long, in a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, 1 ...
system which heads to
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
but this has been closed since 1997 when the Chiromo bridge over the
Shire River
The Shire is the largest river in Malawi. It is the only outlet of Lake Malawi and flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique. Its length is . The upper Shire River issues from Lake Malawi and runs approximately before it enters shallow Lake Malo ...
collapsed.
Work on Malawi road-rail bridge to start soon
Creamer Media. 12 September 2003.
An unstaffed, dirt airstrip provides landing facilities for light aircraft.
The main highway between Nsanje
Nsanje (formerly Port Herald) is the main city in Nsanje District within the Southern Region of Malawi.
The intense urbanization in the fertile Shire River valley has formed an extensive urbanized zone that runs from the city of Bangula, furth ...
and Blantyre runs through Bangula.
See also
* Railway stations in Malawi
References
Populated places in Southern Region, Malawi
{{Malawi-geo-stub