Mchinji is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. As of 2008 estimates, Mchinji District had a population of 458,556. The area's economy is sustained by rain-fed agriculture. Mchinji Boma, located at 12 km from the Zambian Border and 109 km from Lilongwe the Capital City of Malawi, is the major hub of government and general business. It has a major railroad junction, being the railhead nearest to Zambia.