20+ Interesting Facts About Malawi

  1. Malawi is a small landlocked country in southeastern Africa. It is named after Lake Malawi, which covers almost 33% area of the country.
  2. There are over 1,000 known fish species in Lake Malawi, more than any other lake in the world. According to estimates, there are more than 2,000 fish species in Lake Malawi. (Source)
  3. Lake Malawi is the 9th largest lake and the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world. It is also the 2nd deepest lake in Africa. It is also known as Calendar Lake due to its unique features of 365 miles in length, 52 miles of maximum width, and flowing of 12 rivers into the lake. (Source)
  4. The oldest human cultural artifacts in Malawi are more than 50,000 years old. But the oldest known human fossils are between 8000 and 2000 BCE. The Bantu people started arriving in this area after the 1st Century CE.
  5. Kamuzu Banda was the first prime minister of Malawi. He was declared president for life in 1971. Malawi adopted the one-party system from 1966 to 1991. During this period, the country remained under the rule of Banda’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
  6. Former Malawian president Bingu Mutharika bought a presidential jet in 2009 for $22 million. This purchase resulted in a decrease in aid from donor countries, which deteriorated the economy. The maintenance cost of the jet was $300,000 annually. The next president, Joyce Banda, sold the plane for $15 million in 2013. (Source)
  7. Malawi has the 3rd lowest per capita income in the world. Its GDP is only better than Burundi and South Sudan. (Source)
  8. Malawi had good relations with South Africa during apartheid. This policy isolated Malawi from many other African countries. (Source)
    An apartheid sign in South Africa
    Malawi had good relations with South Africa during apartheid

  9. Malawi is one of the few countries declared least developed by the UN. Like other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi has a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS rates.
  10. Malawi completed one of the world’s biggest elephant translocations in 2016. During this operation, around 500 elephants were taken from the Liwonde National Park in southern Malawi to grasslands in northern Malawi. (Source)
  11. Malawi faced the worst floods in its history in 2015. These floods between January and March 2015 resulted in 276 deaths and around 230,000 displacements. The country also faced the worst food crisis in the decade thanks to this flood.
  12. Lilongwe is the capital of the country, while Blantyre is the seat of the judiciary in Malawi. Scottish settlers founded this city (Blantyre) in 1876.
  13. Britain colonized Malawi in 1891. The African country gained independence from the UK on 6th July 1964.
  14. Chewa is the majority language of the population in Malawi. It was the only national language between 1968 and 1994. Around 35% of people in Malawi belong to the Chewa ethnicity. All the African languages spoken here are Bantu languages.
  15. Malawi is commonly known as the warm heart of Africa. It is due to the non-violent and welcoming attitude of Malawians towards strangers in their country.
  16. Malawi was the first country to grow tea in Africa. Tea bush was introduced to Malawi by the British around 150 years ago.
  17. A jawbone of a human-like creature was discovered in 1993 in Malawi. This earliest known fossil of human lineage could be 2.4 million years old. (Source)
  18. The meaning of the word Malawi is ‘fire flames.’ It depicts the rising sun on the waters of Lake Malawi.
  19. Tobacco is the largest export of Malawi. The country’s largest import is petroleum products. Belgium and South Africa are the largest export and import partners of Malawi. (Source)
  20. More than 77% of Malawians adhere to Christianity. Around 14% are Muslims, while the remaining population follows traditional or no religion. 
  21. Carlsberg Malawi Brewery Ltd. is the first Carlsberg brewery to be established outside Copenhagen. It is also the only such brewery in Africa.
  22. Famous US singer Madonna has adopted four children from Malawi. The singer also founded a charity, Raising Malawi, in 2006. (Source)
  23. There are two UNESCO world heritage sites in Malawi. These include Lake Malawi National Park and Chongoni Rock-Art Area. There are six sites on the tentative list as well. (Source)

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