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About Malawi

Physical Geography

Politics

Established in 1891, the British protectorate of the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964 and Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda became Prime Minister/President for 30 years. In 1994 Malawi held multi-party elections for the first time since independence and elected Dr Bakili Muluzi, who remained in office for a decade. The current president is Dr. Bingu wa Mutarika, who is campaigning against corruption and trying to establish strong fiscal management systems.

Economy

Malawi's economy is based on agriculture, which regularly accounts for one-third of the gross domestic product and 90 percent of export earnings. Most of the people are either involved in farming projects, or are subsistence farmers. The main cash crops are tobacco, sugar tea and coffee. Rural people grow tobacco for sale at the huge auction floors in cities, and also plant maize, millet and rice, bananas, citrus and vegetables. Traditionally, fishing in Lake Malawi has provided numerous jobs and serves as an important source of protein. Unfortunately, overfishing and environmental degradation are depleting the fish stocks and threating the long term potential of this natural resource. Tourism is substantial foreign exchange earner.

Demography

Over 84% of the population live in the rural area. However, urbanization continues as fewer people are able to survive from rural activities and there are large concentrations of people around the cities - the capital, Lilongwe, business centre Blantyre, the first and still the academic capital of Zomba and the fastest growing northern city of Mzuzu. In the south, there is intense cultivation and population while in the north, the people live in scattered villages and the traditional way of life is more prevalent mostly due to the lack of industry. The total population is approximately 11 million and is growing at an annual rate of 1.8 percent. The life expectancy at birth is 39 years, primarily due to the high incidence of HIV/AIDS.

Language

Chichewa is a Bantu language widely spoken in Malawi, while a very close dialect of Chichewa, called Chinyanja, is spoken in much of Zambia and parts of Mozambique. There are 15 languages spoken in Malawi including Chiyao, Chilomwe, Chitumbuka, Chitonga and Chisena. The official language is English.

Food

Most Malawians eat nsima, food made from corn flour with a side dish such as fish (a favorite being Chambo), chicken, meat, or cooked vegetables. Vegetables are cultivated throughout. Tropical fruits such as mango, bananas, avocado pairs, passion fruits are well cultivated, and eaten in Malawi.

Education

Like other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi recognizes the importance of basic education and is seen as major catalyst for development, cultural identity and national cohesion. Primary education has been the main means of providing basic education. While education is not mandatory, in 1994, Malawi declared free primary education for all resulting in 1.3 million additional pupils starting school that year.