If you’re like most travelers, you’re sick of the typical sights and sounds of the places you visit. You’re going to have to venture out a little bit to see and experience the true spirit of a country. It doesn’t have to be a whole trip; you can spend a few hours or a day exploring a destination.
And for this, Malawi is just the perfect destination.
Malawi is a small, landlocked African country known for its lush forests and endless rolling hills that seem to go on forever. It’s also one of the unique countries in the world, thanks to its diverse culture that includes many different tribes and ethnic groups known for their unique dress, art, and customs.
It has 18.63 million people mainly speaking English as their first language.
Malawi, formerly called Nyasaland, is renowned for its great freshwater lake, Lake Malawi, and its friendly people.
The country’s laid-back beaches at the tranquil islands also make it a superb destination for a vacation.
In addition, Malawi is somewhat a safe country to visit. However, it is better to take precautions as petty crimes like bag-snatching and mugging are present. Also, don’t walk alone in quiet streets, especially at night.
Geography
Tanzania borders Malawi to the north, whereas Lake Malawi borders the country to the east, Zambia to the west, Mozambique to the east, and the south.
Its landscapes are highly varied and have four primary regions: the East African Rift Valley, the highlands, the central plateaus, and the isolated mountains.
Th highlands constitute Nyika, Dowa highlands, Viphya, and Dedza-Kirk mountains in the north and west and Shire Highlands in the south.
Climate
Malawi has two primary seasons: the dry season and the wet season.
The dry season in Malawi starts from May to October whereas, the wet season is from November to April.
Temperatures decrease with increasing elevation. The precipitation levels are highest on the northern highlands, where they reach over 2,300 mm.
These levels are lower in Shire valley and range from 650-900 mm.
Nature and Wildlife
Malawi’s vegetation is diverse. It has savannas, woodlands, grasslands, and evergreen forests.
The country’s natural vegetation has depleted due to human activities. Swamp areas have been drained for cultivation.
The woodlands are being cleared, and softwoods are planted in the highland areas.
It would be awesome if you visited the game reserves to check out wild animals in Malawi.
You can find wild animals like antelope, elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, and zebras.
Malawi’s rivers and lakes also house hundreds of fish species. The Lake Malawi National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 because of its fantastic range of endemic fish species.
People
There are ten major ethnic groups in Malawi: Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Lomwe, Tumbuka, Sena, Ngoni, Tonga, Ngonde, and the Lambya/Nyiha.
The languages spoken by the people are Bantu languages. Before, Chewa was the only language spoken by the people.
English is also taught to students from grade 5. Sadly, less than one-fifth of Malawi’s population knows how to speak English.
