Overview
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. The country spans over 118,484 km² (45,747 sq mi) and has a population of 22,224,282 as of July 2025. Lilongwe is its capital and largest city.
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 nations and participates in several international organisations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the African Union.
Etymology
The name Malawi means "flames" in Chichewa and Chitumbuka. The name was chosen by Hastings Banda, the first president of Malawi, after the country achieved its independence from Great Britain in 1964.
Pre-Colonial History
Before the arrival of the Bantu peoples around the 10th century CE, the region was inhabited by a small population of hunter-gatherers known in oral tradition as Akafula, BaTwa, Akaombe, or Mwandionerakuti. The BaTwa were gradually overtaken by agrarian Bantu peoples who migrated from the north.
Although most Bantu peoples continued south, some remained and founded ethnic groups based on common ancestry. By the 16th century, these groups had established several kingdoms, including the Maravi Empire, which extended from north of Nkhotakota to the Zambezi River and from Lake Malawi to the Luangwa River in present-day Zambia, as well as the Nkhamanga kingdom.
In the 17th century, with the area mostly united under one native ruler, local tribesmen began encountering, trading with, and making alliances with Portuguese traders and military members. By the 18th century, however, the empire had broken up into areas controlled by many individual ethnic groups. The Indian Ocean slave trade reached its height in the mid-19th century, when approximately 20,000 people per year were believed to have been enslaved and transported from Nkhotakota to Kilwa for sale.
Colonial Period (1859–1964)
Missionary and explorer David Livingstone reached Lake Malawi (then called Lake Nyasa) in 1859 and identified the Shire Highlands south of the lake as an area suitable for European settlement. Following Livingstone's visit, several Anglican and Presbyterian missions were established in the area during the 1860s and 1870s.
European settlement and administrative presence expanded gradually. The African Lakes Company Limited was established in 1878, a small mission and trading settlement was established at Blantyre in 1876, and a British consul took up residence there in 1883. To prevent Portuguese occupation of the region, the British government sent Harry Johnston as consul with instructions to make treaties with local rulers beyond Portuguese jurisdiction.
In 1889, a British protectorate was proclaimed over the Shire Highlands, which was extended in 1891 to include the whole of present-day Malawi as the British Central Africa Protectorate. In 1907, the protectorate was renamed Nyasaland, a name it retained for the remainder of its time under British rule.
In 1944, the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) was formed to promote local interests to the British government. In 1953, Britain linked Nyasaland with Northern and Southern Rhodesia in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, often called the Central African Federation (CAF). This linking provoked opposition from African nationalists, and the NAC gained popular support.
Hastings Banda, a European-trained doctor working in Ghana, was persuaded to return to Nyasaland in 1958 to assist the nationalist cause. Banda was elected president of the NAC and worked to mobilize nationalist sentiment before being jailed by colonial authorities in 1959. He was released in 1960 and was asked to help draft a new constitution for Nyasaland with a clause granting Africans the majority in the colony's Legislative Council.
Independence and the Banda Era (1964–1993)
In 1961, Banda's Malawi Congress Party (MCP) gained a majority in the Legislative Council elections. Banda became Prime Minister in 1963, and the Central African Federation was dissolved in 1963. On 6 July 1964, Nyasaland became independent from British rule and was renamed Malawi—a date commemorated as the nation's Independence Day.
Under a new constitution, Malawi became a republic in 1966 with Banda as its first president. The new government formally made Malawi a one-party state with the MCP as the only legal party. In 1971, Banda was declared president for life. For almost 30 years, Banda presided over a rigidly totalitarian regime, which ensured that Malawi did not suffer armed conflict.
Multi-Party Democracy (1993–Present)
Under pressure for increased political freedom, Banda agreed to a referendum in 1993, where the populace voted for a multi-party system. In late 1993, a presidential council was formed, the life presidency was abolished, and a new constitution was put into place, effectively ending the MCP's rule.
In 1994, the first multi-party elections were held, and Banda was defeated by Bakili Muluzi, a former secretary general of the MCP and former Banda Cabinet minister. Muluzi was re-elected in 1999 and remained president until Bingu wa Mutharika was elected in the 2004 general election. Mutharika was successfully re-elected in 2009.
In July 2011, protests erupted over high costs of living, devolving foreign relations, poor governance, and a lack of foreign exchange reserves. The protests left 18 people dead and at least 44 others suffering from gunshot wounds.
In April 2012, Mutharika died of a heart attack. Vice-President Joyce Banda subsequently assumed the presidential title.
Economy and Demographics
Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries. Its 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 diverse population includes native peoples, Asians, and Europeans. The population is predominantly Christian, with the majority being Protestant.