Malawi

Malawi Map

Geography

45,745 sq mi (118,480 sq km) in Southern Africa, east of Zambia.

Although landlocked, Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature

Population

10,701,824

Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Languages

English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally

Capital

Lilongwe

Political Status

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.

Religion

Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%