Malawi

C

Environmental Issues

Malawi is a very poor country that has a high population density and a high population growth rate. Most people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and traditional fuels, particularly fuelwood and charcoal, account for 89 percent (1997) of the country’s total energy use. The high population density and dependence on the land put great pressure on the environment for more farmland and fuelwood. Malawi has one of the highest rates of annual deforestation in Africa, at 0.9 percent (1990–2005).

Unsafe sewage disposal, agricultural runoff, and soil erosion due to deforestation combine to contaminate much of the country’s fresh water. Only 73 percent (2004) of the population has access to safe water. In addition, erosion causes siltation of rivers and streams, endangering fish populations.

Nevertheless, Malawi has a rich and diverse wildlife population, and about 36 percent (2005) of the country’s total land area remains forested. Experts believe that Lake Malawi has more endemic species of fish than any other lake in the world. Of the country’s total land area, 8.9 percent (2004) is designated protected. Lake Malawi National Park, at the southern end of the lake, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984. Poaching continues to be a problem in the protected areas, however. The government has ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, environmental modification, hazardous wastes, marine life conservation, ozone layer protection, and wetlands.

III

Population

More than 99 percent of the people of Malawi are black Africans. Principal ethnic groups include the Chewa, who constitute 90 percent of the population of the central region; the Nyanja, who predominate in the south; the Tumbuka, who predominate in the north; the Ngoni, an offshoot of the Zulu, who settled in the lower northern and lower central regions in the 1800s; and the Yao, who are mostly Muslim and live along the southeastern border. The rest of the inhabitants, principally settlers of British and Indian origin, form less than one-half of 1 percent of the population. Some 83 percent of the people live in rural villages.

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A

Population Characteristics

The population of Malawi is 13,603,181 (2007 estimate). The country has an overall population density of 145 persons per sq km (375 per sq mi), one of the highest in Africa.

B

Political Divisions and Principal Cities

Malawi is divided into 3 regions and 24 districts. The largest city is Blantyre (population, 1998, 502,053). The capital, since 1975, is Lilongwe (440,471).

C

Religion and Language

Christians make up 76 percent of the inhabitants of Malawi. Another 15 percent are Muslim, and 8 percent practice traditional religions. English is Malawi’s official language and is the primary language of instruction in the schools. Chichewa, a Bantu language, is the national language, and a number of other Bantu languages are widely spoken.