Malawi Location : Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Capital City : Lilongwe
Curreny : Malawian kwacha (MWK)
Languages Spoken : English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Climate : sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
National Holiday : Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
Background Information
Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following year. National multiparty elections were held again in 1999.
Geographical Note
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
Economy
Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong challenges, e.g., to fully develop a market economy, to improve educational facilities, to face up to environmental problems, and to deal with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth.
Religions
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%
Ports : Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba
International Disputes - Risks to travellers
: Malawi and Tanzania maintain a largely dormant dispute over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and current location of historical boundary in meandering Songwe River
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Malawi
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