Dedza

Malawi

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Article History

Dedza, town, central Malawi, at the foot of Dedza Mountain (7,211 feet [2,198 metres]). Situated in an area with a cool, healthy climate and a perennial supply of mountain water, the town is near the Mozambique border, on the traditional route between Ntcheu and Lilongwe, and is the trade centre for a fertile agricultural area (rice and potatoes). Extensive softwood plantations cover Dedza Mountain; there are sawmills in the town and a forestry training school nearby. The region was sparsely inhabited until the 1920s and ’30s brought an influx of refugees, mostly emigrants evading taxation in Mozambique. Pop. (2008 prelim.) 20,375.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.