Malawi
Malawi is a country in southeastern Africa, formerly known as Nyasaland. It has an area of 45,853 square miles and an estimated population of 19.6 million people in 2022. The capital is Lilongwe, while the judiciary meets in Blantyre. Malawi is a Republic with one legislative house; its Head of State and Government is the President.
The terrain of Malawi is characterized by dramatic highlands, extensive lakes, and forests covering about one fourth of the total land area. Its most prominent feature is the Great Rift Valley, which runs north-south and contains Lake Nyasa (also known as Lake Malawi). Agriculture is the main occupation of the population, with staple crops such as corn, peanuts, beans, and peas, and cash crops including tobacco, tea, sugarcane, and cotton. Coal mining and limestone quarrying are also important to the economy, as is industrial production of food products, beverages, chemicals, and textiles.
The majority of the population in Malawi speaks Bantu languages. English, Chewa, and Lomwe are the official languages, although no single language is stated in the constitution. Christianity (both Protestant and Roman Catholic) and Islam, as well as traditional beliefs, are all practiced. The currency of Malawi is the Malawian Kwacha.
Life expectancy at birth for males and females in 2019 is 68.4 and 74.8 years respectively. Literacy rates in 2015 put male literacy at 70% and female literacy at 55%. In 2020, the Gross National Income per capita was US$580 and the total GNI was US$11,017 million.