Malawi is an inland African country with no direct access to the sea. However, in the east it is surrounded by Lake Malawi that is the third largest lake in Africa. Malawi is not a large state, in fact it is one of the smallest countries in Africa but it has a beautiful scenery, variety of plants and animals and is rich in culture and traditions.

The capital is called Lilongwe and attracts tourists because of its stability and safety. Another city, Blantyre, is the commercial and industrial centre of Malawi and as for the size, it is somewhat bigger than the capital. Malawi is a democratic and independent country but like each country in Africa it had to cope with changing political systems.

Landscape

Malawi is one of the most densely populated countries in Sub-Saharan Africa; in 2002 it had around 12 million inhabitants. Twenty percent of the land is occupied by Lake Malawi and much of the country lies within the Great Rift Valley – caused by geological processes. Lake Malawi, the Rift Valley and mountains cover so much of the surface that there is only a little space left for the plains. On the Mulanje Massif/Mount Mulanje you can find the highest peak of Malawi, Sapitwa, which is 3,002 metres high. The climate in Malawi is subtropical with rainy season from November to April and drought season from May to October.

History of Malawi

Bantu tribes were among the first inhabitants in today´s Malawi. A few Europeans and Americans visited the land but the first significant Western visitor was David Livingston from Scotland and Scottish Presbyterian missionaries. In 1891 the British Central African Protectorate was established which included most of present-day Malawi. Towards the end of the 19th century slavery was abolished and Malawians attempted to gain independence. In 1953 Malawi was joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia to form the Central African Federation but ten years later it was dissolved and Malawi finally became an independent state within the Commonwealth.

People and Culture

The original people – Bantu – came to today´s Malawi about 600 years ago. They divided into two branches, Chewas and Nyanjas, and established a kingdom. Nowadays, the ethnic distinctions are not so visible; the ancestors of Chewas mostly occupy the central region and Nyanja population lives in the north and in the south. Besides these two ethnicities, Europeans and Indians live in Malawi, too. Due to British colonization, the official and most prestigious language here is English. Malawians are used to living with their extended families and are very friendly. Sixty percent of Christians are Protestant and fifteen are Catholic; the rest includes Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Anglicans and Jehovah´s Witnesses. The second prominent religion is Islam; there are no conflicts between Christians and Muslims. Music and dancing represent substantial part of the Malawian culture. The most popular styles of music are gospels and reggae. The oldest dance probably comes from the indigenous religion and is accompanied by drums. Bao – a kind of social game – is often played among friends and relatives; it is a variant of the pit-and-pebble game. As for clothing, all women wear "chitenje", a piece of fabric wrapped around their regular skirts. It is an all-purpose cloth: serves as a basket, a pot holder or a baby-carrier. The main food in Malawi is a thick maize porridge, potatoes, cassava, fresh fruits and vegetables and eggs.

Why is Malawi worth visiting?

One of the most attracting things is definitely the wildlife. In several national parks and wildlife reservations you can see the big five – lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino – as well as antilopes, various kinds of smaller cats such as caracal and serval, birds and over 600 species of fish.