Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 21,240,689. Malawi's capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu, and its fourth-largest is Zomba, the former capital.
The history of Malawi covers the area of present-day Malawi. The region was once part of the Maravi Empire. In colonial times, the territory was ruled by the British, under whose control it was known first as British Central Africa and later Nyasaland. It becomes part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The country achieved full independence, as Malawi, in 1964. After independence, Malawi was ruled as a one-party state under Hastings Banda until 1994.
Politics of Malawi takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malawi is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. There is a cabinet of Malawi that is appointed by the President of Malawi. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Hastings Kamuzu Banda was the leader of Malawi from 1964 to 1994. He served as Prime Minister from independence in 1964 to 1966, when Malawi was a Dominion/Commonwealth realm. In 1966, the country became a republic and he became the first president as a result, ruling until his defeat in 1994.
Kasungu is a town in the Kasungu District of the Central Region of Malawi. The population of Kasungu was 58,653 according to the 2018 census. Kasungu is approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) north-west of the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe, and is 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of Kasungu National Park. The main industry in Kasungu is tobacco-growing.
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a political party in Malawi. It was formed as a successor party to the banned Nyasaland African Congress when the country, then known as Nyasaland, was under British rule. The MCP, under Hastings Banda, presided over Malawian independence in 1964, and from 1966 to 1993 was the only legal party in the country. It has continued to be a major force in the country since losing power.
Kasungu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The capital is Kasungu. The district covers an area of 7,878 km², borders Zambia and has a population of 842,953.
The Kamuzu Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Blantyre, Malawi. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 65,000 people. This can be limited for safety reasons. Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers are tenants.
Louis Joseph Chimango was a long-time cabinet minister in Late Hastings Kamuzu Banda's cabinet from 1978 to 1994. He had trained as a lawyer and later on as a barrister from Grays Inn in London. He later taught at the law school at Chancellor College in Zomba, a constituent of the University of Malawi, from 1970, before being nominated for politics in 1978. He left the law school when he was the dean of the Faculty of Law. During Late Kamuzu Banda's time he held a number of cabinet portfolios including those of Minister of Finance, Health, Local Government, and Education, among others. After Late Kamuzu's defeat in the 1993 referendum he maintained his seat in Parliament and was later elected Speaker of the National Assembly of Malawi from June 2005-June 2009. A member of the Malawi Congress Party, he represented the Lilongwe Mpenu Nkhoma constituency, a seat which he lost during the 1999 Late Bingu wa Mutharika's regime. He was also a member of the Pan-African Parliament.
Joyce Hilda Banda is a Malawian politician, who served as President of Malawi, from 7 April 2012 to 31 May 2014. Banda took office as President following the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She is the founder and leader of the People's Party, created in 2011. An educator and grassroots women's rights activist, she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and the Vice-President of Malawi from May 2009 to April 2012. She has served in various roles as a member of Parliament and as Minister of Gender and Child Welfare before she became the President of the Republic of Malawi.
Chakufwa Chihana was a Malawian human rights activist, pro-democracy advocate, trade unionist and later, politician. He held the post of Second Vice President in Malawi, under President Bakili Muluzi. He is often called the 'father of Malawian democracy'. He served as leader of Malawi's first underground political movement, which urged President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who had ruled for three decades, to call for a referendum on political pluralism. He was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 1992.
Malawian-South African relations refers to the bilateral relationship between Malawi and South Africa. South Africa's first formal relationship with an independent African country was established with Malawi, beginning in 1967.
Harry Thomson, also known as "Clean Harry", was a Malawian politician. He was born in Zomba, the capital of Nyasaland. He was a founding member of the United Democratic Front party (UDF) and a Minister of Trade and Industry.
Aleke Kadonaphani Banda was a Malawian politician who served as a Member of Parliament, as Minister of Finance, and as Minister of Agriculture in Malawi. He was also co-founder of 'the Nation Publications Limited'. Banda's life in politics (1953–2008) was devoted intensely to his country as it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, as it established the political and economic structures of an independent state under Hastings Kamuzu Banda and as it created the framework of a multiparty democracy under Bakili Muluzi. Banda died from leukemia on 9 April 2010.
Sam Mpasu was a Malawian politician, author, and former diplomat. He served as Minister of Commerce, Secretary General of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1999, and speaker of the Malawi National Assembly.
Nelson P. W. Khonje was a Malawian politician who was Speaker of Parliament from 1975 to 1987.
The Malawi Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for defending Malawi. It originated from elements of the British King's African Rifles, colonial units formed before independence in 1964.
First Lady or Gentleman of Malawi is the official title held by the spouse of the president of Malawi, an office created in 1964. Malawi's current first lady is Monica Chakwera, who has held the position since June 2020.
Thomas Cullen Young (1880–1955) was a Scottish Presbyterian anthropologist and missionary, who first started his missionary work in Malawi at the Livingstonia Mission in 1904. During his missionary career, he emphasised learning the customs and wisdom of the local population to contribute towards a greater understanding of missionary work, as well as the importance of consideration of the African lifestyle.
Kamuzu Mausoleum is a resting place of the first president of Malawi, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda situated within Kamuzu Memorial Park. The monument holds historical significance and is dedicated to the late President Kamuzu Banda, who led Malawi to independence. Banda was born on 14 May 1898 and ruled from 1961 to 1994. He died on 25 November 1997 at the age of 99.
