Located in southeast Africa, Malawi borders Mozambique to the east and south, Zambia to the west, and Tanzania to the north. Malawi has a sizeable coastline despite being landlocked; Lake Malawi covers about one-fifth of Malawi’s area.
Quick Facts
Population: 19.843 million
Ethnic Groups: Chewa (34.3%), Lomwe (18.8%), Yao (13.2%), Ngoni (10.4%), Tumbuka (9.2%), Sena (3.8%), Mang’anja (3.2%), Tonga (1.8%), Nyanja (1.1%), Nkhonde (1.0%), Other (2.2%), Foreign (0.3%)
Languages: English (Official), Chichewa (Official) (57.2%), Chinyanja (12.8%), Chiyao (10.1%), Chitumbuka (9.5%), Chisena (2.7%), Chilomwe (2.4%), Chitonga (1.7%), Others (3.6%)
Religions: Protestant (33.5%), Roman Catholic (17.2%), Other Christian (26.6%), Muslim (13.8%), Traditionalist (1.1%), Other (5.6%), None (2.1%)
Capital: Lilongwe
CIA: The World Factbook — Last Updated December 27, 2019
Useful Links
Malawi was a dictatorship for thirty years following its independence, but multiparty elections were held in 1994. Recent elections have been peaceful, and Malawi today enjoys peace and political stability. Nevertheless, Malawi continues to face economic and social challenges. Freedom of religion exists in Malawi. Christians, Muslims, and adherents to other religions co-exist peacefully. Most Malawians identify as Christian. There are also Malawians who adhere to traditional beliefs and indigenous religions, which involve the veneration of ancestors and belief in a supreme being.
- BBC News. (2014, June 1). Malawi profile. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13864367
- Central Intelligence Agency. (2019, December 18). The World Factbook: Malawi. Retrieved December 27, 2019, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/
- Chewa. (2009). In T. L. Gall & J. Hobby (Eds.), Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 123-128). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- Encyclopedia of the Nations. (n.d.). Malawi. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Malawi.html
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2009, October 15). Cultural Information – Malawi. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/culture-culture_mw.aspx?lang=eng
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2011, December 15). Overview – Malawi. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/overview-apercu_mw.aspx?lang=eng
- Mandryk, J. (2010). Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (7th ed.). Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing.
- Statistics Canada. (2011, April 7). 2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations/Ethnic Origin, Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses and Sex for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=92333&PRID=0&PTYPE=88971,97154&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&THEME=80&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF