Malawi
Geography
45,745 sq mi (118,480 sq km) in Southern Africa, east of Zambia.
Although landlocked, Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
Population
10,701,824
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Languages
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Capital
Lilongwe
Political Status
Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following year. National multiparty elections were held again in 1999.
Religion
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%
