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Named after Dr. Livingstone's birthplace in Scotland, Blantyre is Malawi's commercial centre and capital of the country's Southern Region, as well as the Blantyre District. It has a modest but influential expatriate community of people, mainly from England, other European countries and South Africa. The city is also home to the College of Medicine, the Malawi Polytechnic, the Kamuzu College of Nursing and constituent colleges of the University of Malawi.

Mount Soche and the Ndirande, Chiradzulu and Michiru mountains overlook Blantyre, forming the Michiru Mountain Conservation Area. The National Museum is midway between Blantyre and Limbe and houses a collection of traditional weapons and artefacts, as well as exhibits relating to traditional dance, European exploration and slavery. There are various restaurants and hotels in Blantyre, as well as pubs and sports bars. Most visitors to Malawi end up in Blantyre eventually and it's a good place to relax, do a bit of shopping and get a decent meal. Incidentally, Blantyre is twinned with Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England.