Zomba

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Zomba (zŏm´bə), town (1994 est. pop. 62,700), S Malawi, in the Shire Highlands. Until 1973 it was the national capital. European planters founded the town c.1880. It is the commercial center for a region growing cotton, coffee, and tobacco; tung oil is produced, and there is a hydroelectric power plant nearby. Zomba Plateau (c.7,000 ft/2,130 m high) is a popular summer resort. A campus of the Univ. of Malawi is in the city.