Portal:Malawi

The Malawi Portal

Flag of Malawi

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km² (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 22,224,282 (as of July 2025). Lilongwe is its capital and largest city, while the next three largest cities are Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Zomba, the former capital.

The part of Africa known as Malawi was settled around the 10th century by the Akafula, also known as the Abathwa. Later, the Bantu groups came and drove out the Akafula and formed various kingdoms such as the Maravi and Nkhamanga kingdoms, among others that flourished from the 16th century. In 1891, the area was colonised by the British as the British Central African Protectorate, being renamed Nyasaland in 1907. In 1964, Nyasaland became independent under Prime Minister Hastings Banda, and was renamed Malawi. Two years later, Banda became president by converting the country into a one-party presidential republic. Banda was declared president for life in 1971. Independence was characterized by Banda's highly repressive dictatorship. After the introduction of a multiparty system in 1993, Banda lost the 1994 general election. Malawi has a democratic, multi-party republic headed by an elected president. According to the 2024 V-Dem Democracy indices, Malawi is ranked 74th electoral democracy worldwide and 11th electoral democracy in Africa. The country maintains diplomatic relations with most countries, and participates in several international organisations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the African Union (AU).

Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries. The economy is heavily based on agriculture, and it has a largely rural and growing population. The country has a low life expectancy and high infant mortality. HIV/AIDS is highly prevalent. The country has a diverse population that includes native peoples, Asians, and Europeans. The population is predominantly Christian and the majority are Protestant. (Full article...)

Selected article -

Otter Point, Cape Maclear

Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town in the Mangochi District of Malawi's Southern Region. The town, on the Nankumba Peninsula, is on the southern shore of Lake Malawi and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi. Cape Maclear is close to the islands of Domwe, Thumbwe and Mumbo Island on Lake Malawi, and is in Lake Malawi National Park. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know -

... that Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi has a filling station to generate income and train students in business management?

General images -

The following are images from various Malawi-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Mbawemi Women's group in Malawi learning how to make beeswax into candles (from Malawi)
Image 2Children attending a farmer meeting in Nalifu village, Mulanje (from Malawi)
Image 3Malawi's first Prime Minister and later the first President, Hastings Banda (left), with Tanzania's President Julius Nyerere (right) (from Malawi)
Image 4Mission Church in Livingstonia (from Malawi)
Image 5Harvesting groundnuts at an agricultural research station in Malawi (from Malawi)
Image 6Lake Malawi (from Malawi)
Image 7Researchers (HC) in Southern Africa per million inhabitants, 2013 or closest year (from Malawi)
Image 8Scientific publications per million inhabitants in SADC countries in 2014 (from Malawi)
Image 91897 British Central Africa stamp issued by the United Kingdom (from Malawi)
Image 10GDP in Southern African Development Community countries by economic sector, 2013 or closest year (from Malawi)
Image 11Malawian female soldier (from Malawi)
Image 12Malawi health passport showing 3 major languages most used in Malawi: English (red dot), Chewa (blue dot), and Tumbuka (green dot). (from Malawi)
Image 13The M1 road between Blantyre and Lilongwe (from Malawi)
Image 14Scientific research output in terms of publications in Southern Africa, cumulative totals by field, 2008–2014 (from Malawi)
Image 15Musical instruments of Malawi (from Malawi)
Image 16Elephant in Majete Wildlife Reserve (from Malawi)
Image 17Chongoni Rock Art Area (from Malawi)
Image 18National Assembly building in Lilongwe (from Malawi)
Image 19Public expenditure on education in Southern Africa as a share of GDP, 2012 or closest year (from Malawi)
Image 20Mountains in Northern Malawi during the rainy season (from Malawi)
Image 21Scientific publication trends in the most productive SADC countries, 2005–2014 (from Malawi)
Image 22Locations of Malawian diplomatic embassies or high commissions as of 2012 (from Malawi)
Image 23Domestic expenditure on research in Southern Africa as a percentage of GDP, 2012 or closest year (from Malawi)
Image 24Crafts market in Lilongwe (from Malawi)