Where is Malawi?

Malawi is located in the Southern Africa region at latitude -13.254308 and longitude 34.301525 and is part of the African continent.

The DMS coordinates for the center of the country are:

  • 13° 15' 15.51'' S
  • 34° 18' 5.49'' E

You can see the location of Malawi on the world map below:

Malawi on the world map

Malawi Neighboring Countries

The neighboring countries of Malawi (MW) are:

  1. Mozambique (MZ)
  2. Tanzania (TZ)
  3. Zambia (ZM)

Malawi is a landlocked country, which means it does not have direct access to the open ocean.

Malawi Related Content

Malawi Key Facts

CountryMalawi
CoordinatesLatitude: -13.254308
Longitude: 34.301525
Country CodesAlpha 2: MW
Alpha 3: MWI
Country Flag Emoji🇲🇼
Int. Phone Prefix+265
Capital cityLilongwe
Continent
Subcontinent		Africa
Southern Africa
Country Area118,484 sq km
Population 202119,647,681
World Rank: 60
Median Age16.8
Life expectancy62.9
Major languagesEnglish (official), Chewa (common), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao
UTC/GMT TimeNumber of time zones: 1
  • UTC+02:00
Internet TLD.mw
Biggest AirportKamuzu International Airport (LLW)
Average temperature21.90 °C
71.42 °F
Administrative Divisions3 regions 28 districts
Political systemPresidential representative democratic republic

Malawi Economy Facts

World Bank Income GroupLow income
World Bank RegionSub-Saharan Africa
CurrencyMalawian Kwacha (MWK)
GDP in 2020$12.2 (billions of USD)
World Rank: 137
GDP per capita in 2020$636
World Rank: 181
Major Industries / Economic SectorsAgriculture, manufacturing, energy, services
Top 5 Import CountriesSouth Africa, China, Zambia, India, Zimbabwe
Top 5 Export CountriesSouth Africa, China, United Arab Emirates, United States, India

Biggest Cities in Malawi

Here are the largest cities in Malawi based on 2021 data:

City Population
Blantyre 1,895,973
Lilongwe 781,538
Mzuzu 150,100
Zomba 101,140
Salima 71,181
Nkhotakota 59,854
Mangochi 51,429
Karonga 34,207
Chiromo 25,235
Nkhata Bay 22,108

Map of Malawi with the Largest Cities

Other Countries in the Southern Africa Region

Geography

A color-coded map displays Malawi and its regions, along with neighboring Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia.
Abstract vector color map of Malawi country colored by national flag

Malawi has long and narrow country lands extending in the north-south direction in the southeastern part of the African continent. The country is adjacent to Tanzania in the north, Zambia in the west, Mozambique in the south, southeast and southwest.

The country has a length of 850 km in the north-south direction and 350 km in the west-east direction. The entire border length of the country is 2,881 km, of which 475 km is Tanzania, 1,569 km is Mozambique and 837 km is Zambia.

Of the country’s 118,484 km², 31% consists of forests, 25% of wetlands, 20% of agricultural land and 15% of pastures. The northern part of the country is more mountainous than the other regions and the elevations can reach 3,000 m above sea level.

The highest mountain in the country is Sapitwa Mountain with 3,002 m. Covering almost the entire eastern part of the country and dominated by Malawi for the most part, Lake Malawi is the largest lake in Malawi with the total area of 29,600 km², 570 km in length and 80 km in width. The Shire River is the longest river in the country with a length of 402 km.

Governance

According to the constitution discussed in 1966, the country is governed by the presidential system. Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was the only party allowed by this constitution in the country that was a member of the Commonwealth.

With the referendum held in 1993, the possibility of transition from a single-party system to a multi-party system was provided. The Malawi parliament has a total of 177 deputies elected every five years. Like the deputies, the president is elected every five years, and a president can be elected for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Climate

The dry season is experienced from May to November. During this period, the air temperatures are quite high. December to April is the rainy period.

Temperatures are around 20 degrees between May and September, and around 30 degrees in October and November.

Religion

According to the 2015 estimated data of the country’s population, 86.9% live according to Christian religious beliefs. The rate of 12.5% of the population living in Malawi according to the Islamic faith is a high rate for this part of the African continent.

The other population believes in local religions. Islam is more prevalent among the Yao ethnic group in the southern parts of the country. The religion, which first came to this land in the 1890s through Arab merchants and Mozambique, was later adopted and practiced especially by Yao.

According to 2015 estimates, 26.9% of the Christian population believes in Protestantism and 18.1% in the Catholic sect, while 41% adopts other Christian beliefs, especially African Christianity, taught by Presbyterian and European missionaries.

Industry and Tourism

Malawi is one of the less developed countries in the world and its economy is generally based on agriculture. 90 percent of gross national product and export income comes from agriculture and agricultural products. Approximately 85 percent of the population live in rural areas and engage in agriculture.

Main export products are:

  • Tobacco
  • Cotton
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Candy
  • Chili pepper
  • Peanut,
  • Processed wood products
  • The fish
  • Bauxite
  • Uranium
  • Gold

Export partners are the USA, South Africa and Egypt. The main import products are; wheat products, dairy products, canned goods, textile products, fertilizer, mine, all kinds of machinery, construction materials, electrical systems, agricultural machinery, vehicles, leather and footwear manufacturing and pharmaceutical. Import partners; mainly South Africa and several African countries with small shares.