This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

Lilongwe
looking east, Area 2 Old Town
Lilongwe Location of Lilongwe
Coordinates: 13°59′S 33°47′E / 13.983°S 33.783°E / -13.983; 33.783Coordinates: 13°59′S 33°47′E / 13.983°S 33.783°E / -13.983; 33.783
Country	Malawi
Region	Central Region
District	Lilongwe
Elevation	1,050 m (3,440 ft)
Population (2012)
• Total	781,538
Time zone	CAT (UTC+2)

Satellite View of Lilongwe

Lilongwe, estimated population 781,538 as of 2012, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.

History[link]

The city started life as a small village on the banks of the Lilongwe river, and became a British colonial administrative centre at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to its location on the main north-south route through the country and the road to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Lilongwe became the second largest city in Malawi after Blantyre. In 1975, the capital of the country was formally moved from Zomba to Lilongwe. Lilongwe has grown immensely since then and since 2008 has been the largest city in Malawi. All parliament members are required to spend time in the capital. Although Lilongwe is the political centre of Malawi, in some respects Blantyre remains the economic capital.

Demographics[link]

General[link]

This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (March 2009)

Many European and South African expatriates live in Lilongwe, and many NGOs (Care International, Plan International, Concern Worldwide, Population Services International, The UNC Project, World Camp, Baylor International AIDS Initiative, Baobab Health Trust, WaterAID), international aid organisations (Peace Corps, USAID, DFID,UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFAO, WFP), and international corporations, particularly tobacco-related firms, operate out of Lilongwe. As a result, most western visitors will find the city to be accommodating and friendly. Many coffee shops, cafes, bars, clubs, restaurants, and even a casino are located in Lilongwe. In Lilongwe, as opposed to rural Malawi, one can live, work, or vacation in a manner that most westerners would consider typical, if not luxurious.

However, most of Lilongwe's Malawian citizens live on just a few dollars a day and many are unemployed. The population of Lilongwe has grown as villagers, including young orphaned children, from the surrounding rural areas have relocated to the capital in search of jobs and the unattainable quality of life enjoyed by government officials, NGO and other international workers, and expatriates. Despite the highly visible class differences, most of the city's residents go about their lives in relative harmony.

During the rainy season, between November and April, Lilongwe is muddy, humid, and hot. June and July are relatively cool and windy months. During the other months of the year, Lilongwe is dry and dusty.

Lilongwe is a hot-spot for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Malawi. It is estimated that up to 20% of the urban population is HIV positive. The Malawi National AIDS Commission reports that professionals, especially teachers and agricultural extension agents - many of whom travel between urban centres and rural villages, are dying faster than they can be replaced.^[2] Also, the central region of Malawi is experiencing extreme deforestation. It is feared that rural citizens will have no access to wood for cooking fires, heating fires, and building materials by 2015. Problems with HIV/AIDS and deforestation are interrelated to the rapid population growth the city is currently experiencing.

Areas[link]

The city has many districts known as Areas. Areas are numbered, and range from one to fifty or more as the city grows - City Centre not being a numbered Area. The Areas are not necessarily consecutively numbered from one area to another.

Some notable areas are:

• City Centre is by far the most modern, developed area of Lilongwe. Many banks (Stanbic - or Standard Chartered, National Bank of Malawi, NedBank, the Reserve Bank of Malawi), diplomatic missions, exclusive hotels (Sunbird Capital Hotel), airline offices (including South African Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Kenya Airways) and international corporate offices are located in City Centre. Close to City Centre, on an elevated ground, lies Malawi's Capital Hill which is a large campus of Government Ministries. There are over a dozen office blocks on Capital Hill, including Office of President and Cabinet, Ministries of Finance, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Education, Works and Transport, Health, Home Affairs and Ministry of Economic Planning. Capital Hill is surrounded by a fence and a ring road, with a maze of streets connecting the office blocks.
• Area 2: Old Town (North of A1) - Closest to the city centre; thriving commercial district, frequented primarily by locals; clothing, local food, western-style groceries, car parts, building supplies, bicycles/bicycle accessories are available here; home to Lilongwe's main local market, two major mosques, and a sprawling mini-bus station.
• Area 3 and Area 9: Old Town (West of A1) - West bank of the Lilongwe river; large, wealthy residential neighbourhoods, expatriate bars, hotels such as Lilongwe Hotel, western style shopping and restaurants, private expatriate clinics (Moyo Wathanzi on Likuni Road - Dr. Huber of Amsterdam).
• Area 47: Home to African Bible College, and its dependable, inexpensive missionary clinic which is typically staffed by American doctors. There is also a small stadium (Silver stadium). Children of the Nations, a non-profit organisation dedicated to caring for orphaned and destitute children, is also headquartered in Lilongwe.
• Other medium to low density residential areas are Areas 6, 12, 11, 43, 10, 44. There are also areas 15, and 18 which are medium to high density. Area 15 in particular has about 250 bungalows and houses medium earners.

While the areas mentioned above are quite wealthy, safe, and modern, many citizens of Lilongwe live in sub-standard/non-permanent housing in a variety of Areas, often without electricity or running water.

Transport[link]

Lilongwe is served by Malawi Railways and Axa Bus company, and local buses and minibuses run between Old Town, City Centre, Kamuzu International Airport, and other urban centres, including Mzuzu and Blantyre. Taxis are available from hotels and a taxi rank on Presidential Way, North of City Centre Shopping Centre. Most major urban roads are severely congested. Nevertheless, recently, most of the roads have been expanded into dual carriage ways (Paul Kagame Road running from Area 15 to Lilongwe Hotel in Area 3, Capital Hill to City Centre Road. The flow of traffic has been greatly improved lately with traffic lights (called robots by locals) installed in strategic intersections, unlike a few years ago when traffic lights were a rarity in Lilongwe. Kamuzu International Airport, located about 35 km north of Lilongwe in the suburb of Lumbadzi, offers local turbo-prop flights.

Shopping[link]

At craft market by post office

The main western-style shopping area is around Shoprite and the Nico Centre in Area 3, on the west bank of the Lilongwe river in Old Town. A newer, similar shopping centre is located near the Mchinji round-about across from the Seven Eleven filling station - the Crossroads Shopping Centre. Lilongwe has also seen the opening of Mr. Price at this Crossroads Shopping Centre. Aside from that a new high street shopping mall is being constructed at the former Shire Bus lines premises at Old Town (next to the Nico Centre). It has been said that this will be the biggest shopping mall in Malawi. Some of the retailers who confirmed as tenants of this mall include: Woolworths, Spar, Game, Mr. Price Home among several others. The Pacific Shopping Mall is located in Area 10. Several internet cafes are located in and around the Nico Centre. Gifts and crafts can be bought from the post office craft market directly opposite the Nico Centre. To get a fair deal in the craft market, you must bargain hard. Pharmacies, bureau de changes and banks (including Stanbic and Malawi National Bank) are located throughout the city. ATMs, which accept VISA cards are available at the banks mentioned above in City Centre and Area 3, with National Bank branches accepting bank-issued cards using the PLUS international banking network. Almost any necessity can be purchased in Lilongwe, and many back-packers and overland travellers stop in Lilongwe to stock up and enjoy city life for a few days.

Youth centres[link]

There are several youth centres in this town. The city assembly controls the Lilongwe community ground located close to police unit south east of the main bus terminal. The youth centre is surrounded by a wall 10 metres high. Local teams come to play at this ground. The young people come to play basketball, football, karate, boxing, volleyball, and many other games.

Another major youth centre is Don Bosco Youth Centre located at Area 23, on the outskirts of the town. It is run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. Young people come to this place to play and pray. In addition to the good grounds and courts that it has, there is a technical school that holds over 600 young people who train in different trades. ^[3]

Climate[link]

Lilongwe features a humid subtropical climate that borders on a subtropical highland climate, with pleasantly warm summers and mild “winters”. Due to the altitude, temperatures are lower than would be expected for a city located in the tropics. Lilongwe features a short wet season that runs from December to March and a lengthy dry season that covers much of the remainder of the year, particularly June and July which are cooler than the rest of the year. However, the city sees heavy downpours during its rainy season, seeing around 200mm of rain in a month during the wettest months.

References[link]

Gerke, W.J.C. & Viljoen, Charl J. Master Plan for Lilongwe the Capital City of Malawi (Johannesburg: Swan Publishing, 1968)

Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison at the Colts 2007 Training Camp.
No. 88
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1972-08-25) August 25, 1972 (age 39)
Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight: 178 lb (81 kg)
Career information
College: Syracuse
NFL Draft: 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19
Debuted in 1996 for the Indianapolis Colts
Last played in 2008 for the Indianapolis Colts
Career history
Indianapolis Colts (1996–2008)
Career highlights and awards
8× Pro Bowl selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) 8× All-Pro selection (1999, 2000, 2001 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) Super Bowl champion (XLI) AFC Champion (2006) NFL Alumni Wide Receiver Of The Year (2002) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Holds several NFL records
Career NFL statistics as of 2008
Receptions 1,102 Receiving Yards 14,580 Receiving TDs 128 Stats at NFL.com

Marvin Daniel Harrison (born August 25, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse. He spent his entire 13-year career with the Colts, and is widely considered as one of the greatest and most productive wide receivers in NFL history.^[1]

College career[link]

Harrison was a three-year starter at Syracuse University, playing with Donovan McNabb in his final year. Harrison set a school record with 2,718 career receiving yards and ranked second in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns to Rob Moore. Harrison graduated with a degree in retailing.^[2]

Collegiate statistics[link]

Professional career[link]

Indianapolis Colts[link]

Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL Draft, a selection which was obtained in a trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons. Harrison has gone on to become one of the most productive receivers from that draft class, which included Keyshawn Johnson, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Muhsin Muhammad, Eddie Kennison, Terry Glenn, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn, and Terrell Owens among others.

In 2002 Harrison broke Herman Moore's single season receptions record by 20 receptions. He finished with 143 catches, and he also had over 1,700 yards receiving. In December, 2006 Harrison became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 1000 receptions, joining Jerry Rice (1549), Cris Carter (1101), and Tim Brown (1094). He is also one of only seven wide receivers in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns.

During a 2007 game against the Denver Broncos, Harrison injured his knee while attempting a block and was lost for the season, making only a small appearance in their lone playoff game that season. It marked only the second time Harrison had missed regular season action due to injuries and the first since 1998.

On December 14, 2008 in a game against the Detroit Lions, Harrison caught his 1,095th career reception, passing Tim Brown for third all time. He passed Cris Carter to become second on the all-time NFL reception record list with 1,102 receptions during a 23–0 Colts victory over the Tennessee Titans on December 28, 2008.

Following the 2008 NFL season, Harrison asked for and was granted his release by the Colts.^[3] After sitting out the entire 2009 season, Harrison quietly retired from the NFL.^[4]

Professional statistics[link]

Accurate as of April 13, 2009

NFL records[link]

• Averaged 84.77 receptions per season, which is second to the all time record held by Sterling Sharpe who averaged 85 receptions per season. He had previously been averaging 93 per season until 2007, where he missed the majority of games with a knee injury, resulting in a 20 reception season.
• 4th most touchdown receptions in a decade (95) 2000–2009
• 3rd most receiving yards per game throughout a career (76.7 yds/game)
• 2nd most receiving yards in a decade (10,439) 2000–2009
• Holds the NFL record for receptions in a single season with 143, set in 2002.
• Most receptions in a 2 season period (252), 2001–2002; 3 season period (354), 2000–2002; 4 season period (469), 1999–2002; 5 season period (563), 1999–2003; 6 season period (649), 1999–2004; 7 season period (731), 1999–2005; 8 season period (826), 1999–2006; 9 season period (885), 1998–2006; 10 season period (958), 1997–2006; 11 season period (1,022), 1996–2006.
• Most receiving yards in a 4 season period (6,322), 1999–2002; 5 season period (7,594), 1999–2003.
• Most games in a career with at least 8 receptions (51), 9 receptions (32), 11 receptions (12), 12 receptions (8), & 13 receptions (4)
• Most games in career with at least 14 receptions (2)-tied with several players
• Most consecutive games with at least 6 receptions (16) and 9 receptions (6)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 5 touchdowns (11) – shared with Jerry Rice, Don Hutson, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 6 touchdowns (11) – shared with Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice, Don Hutson
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 5 touchdown receptions (11) – shared with Jerry Rice, Don Hutson, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 6 touchdown receptions (11) – shared with Jerry Rice, Don Hutson
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 10 touchdown receptions (8)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 11 touchdown receptions (4)-tied with Lance Alworth, Art Powell
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 14 touchdown receptions (2)-tied with Jerry Rice
• Consecutive seasons with 1,100+ receiving yards (8); 1999–2006- tied with Torry Holt
• Consecutive seasons with 1,400+ receiving yards (4); 1999–2002
• Consecutive seasons with 100+ receptions (4); 1999-2002
• Consecutive seasons with 82+ receptions (8); 1999–2006.
• Most games in a single season (2002) with at least 6 receptions (15), 7 receptions (12), 8 receptions (12), 9 receptions (10), 11 receptions (5).
• Most games in a season with at least 13 receptions (2) in 1999 - tied with several players
• 3rd most games in a single season with 10+ receptions (6). Wes Welker and Andre Johnson have 7.
• Only player with 16 career games with double digit receptions for one team, Indianapolis Colts.
• Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning currently hold the record for most completions between a Wide Receiver and Quarterback with 953.
• Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning currently hold the NFL record for passing touchdowns between a WR and QB with 112.
• Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning currently hold the NFL record for passing yards between a WR and QB with 12,756.
• Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning currently hold the NFL record for completions in a season between a WR and QB with 143, 2002
• Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning currently hold the NFL record for passing yards in a season between a WR and QB with 1,722, 2002
• Harrison trails only Jerry Rice in 1,500 or more receiving yard seasons. He has 3 such seasons, Jerry Rice had 4.
• First player to record 2 seasons of 1,600 yards receiving in NFL history, (1999 & 2002).(Torry Holt became the 2nd, (2000 & 2003)
• First player to have 50+ receptions in his first 11 seasons in NFL history.(Torry Holt became the 2nd on December 27, 2009)
• With 59 career 100-yard receiving games, Marvin Harrison ranks No. 3 all time behind Jerry Rice (76) and Randy Moss (64).
• Second-fastest player to achieve 100 receiving touchdowns.
• Consecutive seasons of 1,000+ all-purpose yards and 10+ touchdown receptions (8), 1999–2006.
• On December 18, 2006, Marvin Harrison and Indianapolis Colt teammate Reggie Wayne became the only NFL wide receiver tandem to catch 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in 3 straight seasons. The game was on Monday Night and was played against the Cincinnati Bengals.
• On November 17, 2002, made his 600th career reception against the Dallas Cowboys.
• On October 12, 2003, made his 700th career reception against the Carolina Panthers. And is the fastest player to do so reaching the mark in 114 games.
• On November 8, 2004, made his 800th career reception against the Minnesota Vikings. And is the fastest player to do so reaching the mark in 131 games.
• On November 20, 2005, made his 900th career reception against the Cincinnati Bengals. And is the fastest player to do so reaching the mark in 149 career games.
• On December 10, 2006, made his 1000th reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And is the fastest player to do so reaching the mark in just 167 career games.
• On December 28, 2008, made his 1,100th career reception against the Tennessee Titans in his last regular season game and his last game in Indianapolis. He is the fastest player to do so reaching the mark in just 190 career games. Half way through the second quarter, he moved into second place for most receptions all time with 1,102, trailing only Jerry Rice.
• Most receptions over 1st 7 seasons (665), 8 seasons (759), 9 seasons (845), 10 seasons (927), 11 seasons (1,022) and 13 seasons (1,102) seasons of career of any NFL receiver
• Only player in NFL history to catch a pass in every game
• Most average receptions per game in a career (5.8) - 1996-2008
• Most consecutive games with 8+ receiving yards (190), (206 if counting playoffs) – every game
• Most consecutive games with a 6+ yard reception (190), (206 if counting playoffs) – every game
• Most consecutive games with an 8+ yard reception (177), (192 if counting playoffs)
• Marvin Harrison is in second place for the most consecutive games with a reception with 190 (206 counting playoffs), only behind Jerry Rice who had 274.

Connections to shooting incidents[link]

Harrison was sued by Dwight Dixon, a convicted drug dealer who was shot outside Chuckie's Garage, a North Philadelphia business owned by Harrison, on April 29, 2008.^[5][6] The two men had two altercations earlier in the day when Harrison denied Dixon entry into a sports bar he owned and operated. Dixon alleged that Harrison was the gunman who shot at him. On January 6, 2009, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham confirmed that it was Harrison's gun that fired shots at Dixon but they had been unable to determine who pulled the trigger.^[7]

The Philadelphia District Attorney also stated that she was not going to pursue charges in this case due to conflicting witness statements. Dixon, who had initially given the police a false name and claimed he was robbed by two men when interviewed at the hospital,^[8] was subsequently convicted of filing a false report for this incident on January 28, 2009. He was sentenced to 6 months probation. Dixon's attorney reportedly sought a new trial as the conviction violated Dixon's parole in an unrelated case.^[9] Harrison is also being sued by Robert Nixon, a victim caught in the crossfire of the shooting who identified Harrison as the shooter in a statement to police.^[10]

Dixon died on July 21, 2009 when he was shot several times while in his car outside a building two blocks away from Harrison's sports bar. On June 16, 2010, Shaun Assael of ESPN The Magazine reports that police confiscated a 9mm handgun from Harrison during a routine traffic stop on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Police will test the gun to see if it matches three spent 9mm shell casings that ended up inside the truck driven by the late Dwight Dixon at the scene of an April 2008 shooting. Dixon, who eventually was shot and killed after filing a civil lawsuit, claimed that the casings came from a second gun that Harrison fired. Authorities already have matched other bullets to a separate gun that Harrison owns—and that he admitted was in his possession on the day the shooting occurred. Police found the gun during a search of Harrison's Escalade. The stop occurred as Harrison drove the vehicle the wrong way on a one-way street. Harrison claimed he did not have a gun. But police believed they saw Harrison put what appeared to be a weapon in the console between the two front seats. They concluded that they had probable cause to search the vehicle, and they found the gun.^[11] The FBI has become involved in the investigation.

References[link]