The landlocked Republic of Malawi is located in Southeast Africa, surrounded by Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia. Much of the country is situated along Lake Malawi.
Lake Malawi is the country's most valuable resource. Without the lake, there would be no country. Lake Malawi forms the country's eastern border with Tanzania, with the lake being within Malawi, while the southern portion of the lake is shared with Mozambique, the borders being in the center of the lake, which is sometimes known as Lake Nyasa or Calendar Lake. Lake Malawi is the second deepest lake in Africa, and the ninth largest in the world.
Malawi's border with Tanzania is in dispute, with Tanzania claiming that the international border runs through the center of the lake, as does its border with Mozambique. Occasional violent conflicts have ocurred over this issue.
Malawi's border with Mozambique are the result of an agreement made between Britain and Portugal in 1954, in which the center of the lake was to be the boundary, except for Chizumulu Island and Likoma Island, which are now part of Malawi.
West of the lake, the Great Rift Valley goes through the land from north to south. The mountains surrounding the Rift Valley reach as high as 8,000 feet in the north. The Shire River begins at the south end of the lake, joining the Zambezi River in Mozambique. Also south of the lake are the Shire Highlands, that reach as high as 3,000 feet.
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the area was inhabited by large groups of Bantu people coming from the north, who found only a small group of people known as the Kafula, who were a hunter-gatherer tribe, and who were easily defeated. Although the Bantus continued south, some of them remained permanently, founding various modern ethnic groups. Migrations were continuous, at least up until the time that the Europeans arrived.
By 1500 AD, the tribes had established the Kingdom of Maravi, which consisted of a larger area than what is now known as Malawi. Shortly after the region became united under one ruler, the Swahili-Arab slave trade was underway, and native tribesmen began making trade alliances with the Portuguese
In 1859, the Scottish missionary and explorer, David Livingstone, reached the region and noted that the area south of the lake was suitable for British settlement. Several Anglican and Presbyterian missionaries established missions there during the 1860s, and a British Consul was appointed to Blantyre in 1883. The Shire Highlands region was made a British Protectorate in 1889, then extended to cover the current boundaries of Malawi a couple of years later, after which it became known as the British Central African Protectorate, then renamed Nyasaland in 1907.
Britain did not maintain strong control over its protectorate. British missionaries were to have more of an impact on the people than its armies or administrators. Prior to World War I, there were just over a hundred planters, two hundred missionaries, and only about a hundred government officials.
By the 1940s, Christianity was well established in Nyasaland, and Malawi remains majority Christian country, although Islam has gradually taken over the region south of Lake Malawi. The Scottish Presbyterians were the first to come, and Presbyterianism remains one of its major Christian groups, although they are now broken into several Presbyterian denominations. Despite their early work in the region, there are only small numbers of Anglicans in Malawi today, the denomination having been largely supplanted by the Roman Catholics. About 20-25% of its population adheres to Islam.
Education in Malawi was originally the role of the missionaries, largely the Presbyterians and the Catholics, who established schools. In their area, the Muslims also set up schools but these schools offered instruction in Islamic practices and recitations of the Quran, which left this part of the country behind in general education.
The move for independence came about after Britain combined Nyasaland with Rhodesia, for its own convenience, a move that angered African nationalists. Dr. Hastings Banda, a Malawi-born doctor, trained in Europe, returned to lead the country to independence, and was successful in 1964, at which time it was renamed Malawi, with Banda as its first president, holding office until 1994.
Malawi is a multi-party democracy, with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The president is elected every five years, and the vice president is chosen by the president. Its capital city is Lilongwe, which is the country's largest city, followed by Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Zomba, which was its former capital.
Primary education is compulsory in Malawi, but only about 25% of Malawi children complete the four years of secondary school. There are four public universities in Malawi.
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Recommended Resources
Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa
The non-commercial website is devoted to the biodiversity of Lake Malawi, including answers to questions asked about Malawi cichlids and their classification, species flocks, and the lake itself, as well as a table showing some of the cichlids’ trophic adaptations, a bibliography of literature on Lake Malawi biology, color photos, and a checklist that includes all of the species described from Lake Malawi.
https://www.malawicichlids.com/
The official website of the Government of the Republic of Malawi presents official information and documents of the government offices of the presidency, and other ministries, departments, and institutions, as well as links to the web pages of other official websites and informational resources. Press releases, public notices, and a private area of the site for government officials are included.
http://www.malawi.gov.mw/
The registered public trust is recognized by the World Health Organization and charged with contributing to Malawi’s national response to HIV through the provision of treatment, care, and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. Its mission, vision and core values are set forth, along with an overview of its services, historical background, leadership, and other resources.
http://www.mwlighthouse.org/
Accredited by the Media Council of Malawi and affiliated with the Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, the online newspaper publishes national news and sports stories, political events, entertainment features, and health topics, as well as opinion columns, a gossip section, and contact information. Readers are invited to contribute, either financially or by submitting relevant stories for publication.
https://malawi24.com/
The flag carrier airline of the Republic of Malawi, Malawi Airlines is based in Lilongwe, with its hub at Lilongwe International Airport. Established with the liquidation of Air Malawi in 2012, Malawi entered into a contract with Ethiopian Airlines, in which it operates the airline under a management contract, and owns 49% of the airline. Flight services and schedules, flight status, and online bookings are available.
http://www.malawian-airlines.com/
Established in 1997, Malawi Net has offices in the major cities of Malawi, offering Internet services, network solutions, disaster recovery management, security surveillance, web solutions, human resource payroll systems, software development, and hardware solutions, as well as digital marketing services. A profile and facts about the country and company are set forth, including an overview of its services, contacts, and announcements.
http://www.malawi.net/
The not-for-profit, humanitarian organization, although based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, has as its primary focus to help the African nation of Malawi, particularly in the areas of agriculture, education, medicine, the sustainability of food, relief of famine, community development, and the development of community leaders. A profile of the organization and the country of Malawi are set forth, along with the organization’s programs and contacts.
https://www.malawiproject.org/
The website represents a partnership of organizations that can bring about a competitive and profitable tea industry in Malawi, one that allows smallholders to earn a living income, and workers a living wage. An overview of the organization is set forth, the coalition is recognized, and progress reports are posted to the site. Coalition participants are recognized, and progress reports are posted to the site.
http://www.malawitea2020.com/
Created by the Malawi travel and tourism industry, guest accommodation providers, tour and safari companies, car rental, and air charter operators, the site features a map of the country and a profile of its regions, attractions, and activities, including its major cities within each region, information about Malawi’s people, landscape, wildlife, and Lake Malawi, as well as a travel guide and directory.
http://www.malawitourism.com/
Presented for the purpose of promoting the music of Malawi, the site presents music selected by fans and music professionals throughout the country, which may be downloaded, streamed, or purchased from the site. Artists, albums, genres, top 20 charts, videos, and lyrics are featured, along with playlists, a downloadable mobile application, a blog, and an online store. New videos are highlighted.
http://www.malawi-music.com/
National Statistical Office of Malawi
Charged with the collection and dissemination of official statistics, the official government department is headquartered in Zomba, with regional offices in Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Blantyre. Its headquarters and administrative office locations are posted to the site, along with its publications, a guide to sources, data archives, statistics, maps, photographs, and a NSO release calendar.
http://www.nsomalawi.mw/
The online newspaper not only reports on news and sports topics, business and economy, education, health issues, and entertainment features, but it also seeks to inspire action and advocacy on significant issues to the people of Malawi. Opinion columns are included, along with letters to the editor and guest columns. Additionally, readers are invited to comment on published stories.
http://www.nyasatimes.com/
The Parliament of Malawi is the supreme legislative body for the Republic of Malawi and is made up citizens who are elected in single-member constituencies to terms of five years. Its functions, powers, structure, and composition is set forth, along with links to information about its provisional plenary calendar, bills, motions, questions, order papers, standing orders, public petitions, ministerial statements. addresses, votes, and proceedings.
http://www.parliament.gov.mw/
Established through an Act of Parliament in 1964, the Reserve Bank of Malawi began operations in 1965, replacing a branch of the Federal Bank of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which then served as a central bank of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Information about monetary policy, financial stability, and financial markets in Malawi are put forth, along with the country’s currency status, payment system, and supervision.
https://www.rbm.mw/
Located in Lilongwe, Malawi, the American embassy represents the United States in Malawi, offering services to Malawi citizens wishing to do business with the United States, or to study abroad, as well as providing a variety of services to US citizens in Malawi, such as visa or passport issues, travel advisories, emergency messages, and assisting with federal programs. News related to Malawi or its relationship with the US are included.
https://mw.usembassy.gov/
Designed and developed by the Department of e-Government for the Republic of Malawi, the site features a map of the country, links to foreign embassies and government agencies, and highlights of the wilderness, wildlife, landscape, scenery, cities and towns, people, culture, and heritage, as well as travel tips, suggestions for guest accommodations, tours, travel agents, car rental companies, and other travel tools. A brochure of Malawi may be downloaded from the site in PDF format.
http://www.visitmalawi.mw/