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46 / BUSINESS / Country at a glance
At a glance
Malawi
Named after its magnificent sunsets, Malawi is
an African gem. Find out more with these
FACTS AND FIGURES.
text Yvette Bax infographics Chantal van Wessel/Vizualism
Geography & economy
Source: afdb.org / cia.gov Source: nationsonline.org / worldatlas.com / data.worldbank.org
Official name Republic of Malawi
Population 15.8 million people (2014, est.)
GDP US$ 5.442 billion
Area (km 2 ) 118,484
Capital Lilongwe
Other cities Blantyre (commercial capital),
Zomba, Mzuzu
Currency Kwacha (MWK)
Local time GMT+2
Neighbouring
countries Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique
Languages Chichewa (national), English (official),
approx. 16 other local languages
Flights Kenya Airways operates flights from Nairobi
to Lilongwe via Harare and via Chileka
International Airport
GDP forecast
Agriculture
5
4
3
2
32%
Industry
17.5%
5.7%
’14
’15
2.8%
2.7%
4%
’16 ’17 ’18
GDP growth compared to the
previous year in Malawi
(in percentages)
5%
5
4
3
2
1,000 km
Services
50.5%
Flames
The country got its name
because of its fiery
sunsets. Malawi comes
from the local language
Chichewa, and means
“flames of fire”.
Rural areas
About 90 percent of the
population lives in rural
areas. Malawi’s economy
is based mostly on
subsistence agriculture
and small-scale
fisheries.
The climate
is predominantly
subtropical, with two
main seasons: cold-dry
and hot-wet.
Landscape
Malawi’s landscape consists of
plateaus, highlands and valleys.
Nearly one-third of Malawi’s
area is covered by Lake
Malawi.
Economy
With the support of
the IMF and the
World Bank, Malawi
has been able to
sustain it’s
economic growth
rates.
Source: nationsonline.org / cia.gov / worldbank.org