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Nkhotakota
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Formerly:
Nkota Kota, or Kota Kota
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Nkhotakota

Malawi
Also known as: Kota Kota, Nkota Kota
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Nkhotakota, town, central Malawi. 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 Swahili-Arab ivory and 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 (including rice, corn [maize], cotton, and fish), it also has a tourist industry dependent upon natural hot springs. Nearby is the isolated 696-square-mile (1,802-square-km) Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (established 1954). Pop. (2008) 24,707.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Laura Etheredge.
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