Malawi

Malawi belongs to the continent of Africa, where it has a landlocked position and is bordered by Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Africa is the world's second largest continent, it has 54 countries, occupies a total area of 30,370,000 km2 and forms 20.4% of the landmass of the world. Malawi is a landlocked country that covers a total area of approximately 118,484 km2. It is one of Africa's small to medium sized countries located on the continent's mainland.

The following border information provides details on the length of Malawi's borders:
Mozambique 1,498 km, Tanzania 512 km, Zambia 847 km.

Malawi has a sub-tropical climate with a rainy season that occurs from November to May. The geography of Malawi is defined by its rolling flatlands and hills, long plateaus and mountains. One of the most interesting geographical features found in Malawi is Lake Malawi, otherwise known as Lake Nyasa. It forms one of the African Great Lakes and boasts more fish species than most other lakes across the world. Lake Nyasa is one of the deepest lakes in Africa and measures around 580km long. The lowest point of Malawi is the junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique at 37m, and the highest point of elevation is Sapitwa at 3,002m.

The official language of Malawi is English, although Chichewa is also widely spoken. Other languages that are spoken in this country include Chinkhonde, Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chingoni ,Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa and Chilambya.

The main religion of Malawi is Protestant at approximately 27% of the population, with the major religions being the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, followed by the Seventh Day Adventist. Around 18% are Catholic, 12% Muslim, and the remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources can be defined as materials and substances that occur naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. An individual country's natural resources can depend on many factors including the climate, geography and location. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, are rich with natural resources, where as others have practically none. Food, construction and transport are three primary examples of uses of natural resources. The following information provides examples of these uses: fish occurs naturally in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, and can be caught for food consumption. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests for construction purposes, i.e. to build homes and furniture. Crude oils can be refined into different kinds of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. The natural resources of Malawi include limestone, arable land suitable for growing crops, hydropower (water power), uranium, coal and bauxite.

Each country has its own individual culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, anthems, songs and mottos represent the national pride and identity of countries across the globe. These national symbols are formed through the unique history of a nation and are symbolic of both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, songs, mottos and colors reflect the past, present and future hopes of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can include a mixture of things that are symbolic to a nation such as wildlife, plants, geographical features, crops, tools of agriculture, and tools of war. The following facts and information provide a guide to some of the most important national symbols, songs and colors of Malawi: