Malawi

In brief

Malawi is a country in East Africa. Its capital is Lilongwe. With 22.2 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 60th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 118,484 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.

GDP per capita stands at $672 (2025), 186th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 67.6 years (2024). 18% of the population lives in cities.

History of Malawi

The Maravi kingdom dominated the Lake Malawi region from the 16th century. The explorer David Livingstone arrived in 1859, and the territory became the British protectorate of Nyasaland in 1891. Independent on 6 July 1964, Malawi was led by Hastings Kamuzu Banda, president for life, until the first multi-party elections in 1994.

Geography of Malawi

Landlocked Malawi stretches along Lake Malawi, Africa’s third-largest lake, set in the Great Rift Valley. Mount Mulanje (3,002 m), in the south, is the highest point.

Map of Malawi

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Flag of Malawi

The flag of Malawi is red, green and black. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Red38%
• Green34%
• Black28%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Black, red and green, with a red rising sun on the black band. Black represents the people, red the blood of the martyrs, green nature; the sun stands for the dawn of hope and freedom for Africa.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Malawi” and “Flag of Malawi”.

See also: flags with a sun.

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Fact file

Economy and society