Likoma Island is the larger of two islands in Lake Malawi, in East Africa, the smaller being the nearby Chizumulu. Likoma and Chizumulu both belong to Malawi, and together they make up the Likoma District. Although both islands lie just a few kilometres from Mozambique, and are entirely surrounded by Mozambican territorial waters, they are both exclaves of Malawi. Geography The island has an overall area of 18 km2, and is located in the north-eastern part of Lake Malawi, 7 km north-west of Cobue, Mozambique). The closest town on the Malawian coast is Chintheche. History In 1880 missionaries from the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, founded in response to a plea by David Livingstone, established their headquarters on Likoma Island. Due to the presence of British missionaries, the island was assigned to Malawi rather than Mozambique when national borders in East Africa were established after World War II. Natural environment Despite a high population density, the natural environment of Likoma island is largely unspoiled. The coast is varied, with rocky slopes, sandy bays and swamps. The interior of the island is mostly covered by grassland, with a large number of baobab trees (of the Adansonia digitata species) and mango trees. Fauna is mostly composed of small reptilians, amphibians, birds and a number of invertebrates, including scorpion spiders. On the coast, crocodiles are occasionally seen. The waters around Likoma, as is usual in Lake Malawi, host a number of cichlids; some species, such as Labidochromis caeruleus likomae, are endemic of the Likoma area. Population Likoma is densely populated, with about 10,500 inhabitants dispersed in a dozen settlements, the main being the eponymous town of Likoma; the nearby island of Chizumulu has a further 4,000 inhabitants. The most represented ethnic groups are the Nyanja people (60%) and the Tonga people (25%), followed by smaller groups of Tumbuka, Yao, and Chewa. Their main economic activity is fishing, although agriculture (mainly rice and cassava) is also represented. The town of Mbamba hosts a busy market. It is also the site of the Anglican cathedral of St Peter, one of the largest churches in Africa. As a consequence of poverty and insufficient hospitals, the situation of public health on the island is critical, although malaria (which is widespread in Malawi) has not been reported. Recently, Likoma has been the subject of a scientific study on the epidemiology of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases. Despite the