19 Facts About Malawi

Malawi has a population of over 19 million people and is a republic.

The official language is English, but the majority of the population speaks Chichewa.

Malawi's capital is Lilongwe, and the commercial centre is Blantyre.

The country is roughly half the size of the United Kingdom.

Lake Malawi, which covers about 20% of the country, is home to more freshwater fish than any other lake in the world. The majority of these are endemic, which means they do not occur elsewhere. Cichlids are a diverse group of colourful fish. These species are just as interesting for evolutionary research as other animal species on the Galapagos Islands, according to scientists.

Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer and missionary, is widely regarded as the first European to "discover" Lake Malawi in 1859. However, the Portuguese had already arrived. Possibly as early as 1492!

Dr. David Livingstone's contributions to Malawi and the region are numerous, including his fight against slavery. To honour him, the town of Livingstonia in northern Malawi and Blantyre in the south are named after his birthplace in Scotland. Malawi and Scotland retain a special bond.

There is even a Malawi fact that has made international headlines in the field of nature conservation. During 2016 and 2017, the organisation African Parks relocated over 500 elephants from Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. African Parks, in collaboration with the government and other partners, accomplishes a great deal in the field of nature conservation in Malawi.

The oldest evidence of the genus Homo ever discovered was discovered in Malawi in 1991. It is a 2.4 million-year-old jawbone.

Malawi's flag was adopted in 1964, following the country's independence from the British. This flag is loaded with meaning. The black stripe represents the population, while the red stripe represents the blood shed to get to where we are today, including the struggle for independence. The green represents the country's fertile nature. The rising sun represents hope and liberty. Malawi was the 31st African country to gain independence, so there are 31 rays of sunshine.

Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi's then-President, decided to change the flag in 2010. The stripes' order has been altered. The rising red sun was replaced in the centre by a full white sun. This represented the country's economic growth.

A majority of the people did not approve of the new flag, and in 2012, new President Joyce Banda reversed the decision.

Malawi's first female vice president was Joyce Banda. She was also Malawi's first female president from 2012 to 2014, after President Bingu wa Mutharika died unexpectedly. She was the African continent's second female president.

Malawi's government recognises the importance of sustainability and is increasingly working in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals. People are encouraged to participate through various campaigns. Lilongwe, the capital, even has an ambitious plan to become one of the world's greenest cities!

60% to 70% of Malawians live in poverty. This creates a number of issues, including parents who are unable to send their children to school. As a result, girls are sometimes forced to marry at a young age and then leave home. Since 2017, Malawian law requires that you be at least 18 years old to marry. This had been going on for 15 years. However, child marriages continue to occur in many rural areas.

The Shire River is the only river to emerge from Lake Malawi. It appears to have the highest hippos density in Africa.

Malawi has the highest concentration of rock art in Central Africa, according to UNESCO. The Chongoni Rock Art is a World Heritage Site with 127 Late Stone Age locations.

Tobacco is still one of Malawi's most important exports. However, as global prices fall, smallholder farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to sell it for a profit.

For many years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has distributed mosquito nets to Malawians in order to protect them from malaria. Regrettably, many people at the lake have begun to use these as fishing nets. This also catches the youngest fish, which are extremely important to maintain healthy fish populations.