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Malawi

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Overview

Malawi · Travel guide

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeast 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 a population of 22,224,282 (as of July 2025). Lilongwe is its capital and largest city. The part of Africa now known as Malawi was settled around the 10th century by the Akafula, also known as the Abathwa. Later, the Bantu groups came and drove out the Akafula and formed various kingdoms such as the Maravi and Nkhamanga kingdoms, that flourished from the 16th century. The British Empire began to consolidate control of the area following the 1890 British Ultimatum against the Portuguese, who had claimed the area between Angola and Mozambique in the 1885 Pink Map. In 1891, the area was designated by the British…

Safety

Malawi

FCDO travel advice for Malawi. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.

Official source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Facts & statistics

Malawi

Capital
Lilongwe
Language
English
Currency
Malawian kwacha
Time zone
UTC+02:00
Calling code
+265
Internet domain
.mw
Driving side
left
Plug type
BS 1363
Voltage
230

Source: Wikidata.

Events

Malawi

New Year's DayNew Year's Day2026-01-01
John Chilembwe DayJohn Chilembwe Day2026-01-15
Martyrs' DayMartyrs' Day2026-03-03
Good FridayGood Friday2026-04-03
Easter MondayEaster Monday2026-04-06
Labour DayLabour Day2026-05-01
President Kamuzu Banda's BirthdayPresident Kamuzu Banda's Birthday2026-05-14
Independence DayIndependence Day2026-07-06
Mother's DayMother's Day2026-10-15
Christmas DayChristmas Day2026-12-25

Source: Nager.Date.

CapitalLilongwe
Population17,563,749
CurrencyMWK
Languagesny,yao,tum,swk
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