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Malawi Facts
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| The National Crest:
has the rising sun at the top and bottom, representing the dawn of
freedom in Africa. The fish eagle and wavy bands on the shield
symbolise Lake Malawi while the lion and the leopard guard the crest
as a whole. The land at the base is the rugged Mulanje mountain. The
crest bears the motto 'Unity and Freedom'. |
Malawi Crest
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| The National Flag:
has three horizontal bands of black, red and green. The rising sun
is superimposed on the centre of the black stripe. The black
represents the people of Africa while the red represents the blood
the martyrs for African freedom. The green represents the ever-green
nature of Malawi. |
Malawi Flag
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Capital:
Lilongwe |
Currency:
Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
Climate:
sub-tropical; rainy season (Nov to May); dry season (May to Nov) |
| US Embassy website:
http://usembassy.state.gov/malawi/wwwh-x-index.html |
Background:
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. |
Industries:
tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods |
Area:
total: 118,480 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km |
Land Boundaries:
total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km,
Zambia 837 km |
Terrain:
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some
mountains |
Natural Resources:
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium,
coal, and bauxite |
Ethnic Groups:
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde,
Asian, European |
Religion:
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs
3%, other 2% |
Languages:
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important
regionally |
Government Type:
multiparty democracy |
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