Ayla Anderson

Malawi is a small, landlocked country in southeast Africa. Its bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Lake Malawi is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the world and makes up over 75% of Malawi’s eastern border. The lake is the most iconic geographic feature, along with the Great Rift Valley which runs through the country from the north to the south.

The capital city is Lilongwe which is also Malawi’s largest city and had a projected population of 1.3 million people in 2018. Two other notable cities include Blantyre in the South and Mzuzu in the North.

Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world whose economy relies mainly on agriculture. The main agricultural products produced include tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, and tea. The large majority of Malawians (about 80%) are subsistence farmers. Recent government focus has been on building and expanding the economy, improving education and healthcare for all, environmental protection and education, and becoming financially independent and decreasing unemployment rates.

For 2019, Malawi’s population is an estimated 19,685,000 with an annual growth rate of 2.89%. Accurate census can be difficult to collect due to the many rural areas within the country. There is a low life expectancy (about 65) and a high infant mortality ( 38 deaths per 1,000 births in 2017). The country also struggles with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS (12% of the population). A report from UNAIDS in 2017 stated that 9.6% of individuals 15-49 years old living in Malawi had HIV infection. Malaria is also of serious concern, affecting many in Malawi each year. The World Health Organization has reported that malaria causes up to 40% of child mortality under the age of two in Malawi.

Malawi Ethnic Groups

• 34.4% Chewa

• 18.9% Lomwe

• 13.3% Yao

• 10.4% Ngoni
  

• 9.2% Tumbuka

• 9% Nyanja

• 3.8% Sena

• 3.2% Mang’anja

• 1.8% Tonga

• 1.0% Ngonde

• 0.6% Lambya

• 0.5% Sukwa

• 1.1% others

The official language of Malawi is English, though over 20 different regional languages are spoken across the country. All these languages spawn from the rich cultural history of Malawi and the many different ethnic groups that reside there. Most Malawians can either speak or understand Chichewa, originating from the central region, and it is generally considered the non-official language of Malawi.