About Malawi - the warm heart of Africa!         It's true - Malawi really is one of the most friendly and welcoming countries in the world - just ask any one of our volunteers! Whether you have been to Africa before or not, Malawi is full of suprises and has plenty to offer. On your weekends and spare time you can organise some fantastic trips with us - such as dodging hippos and elephants in a riverboat safari in Liwonde national park, partying in nearby Cape Maclear or simply chilling out on the beach right on your doorstep! Not only are Malawi's people amazing, so is the landscape. Both pictures were taken 5 minutes (walk or boat) from the volunteer house! Visit the gallery for more great pics of Malawi. Country facts Malawi is located in Southern Africa and is bordered by Zambia (837Km) to the West, Tanzania (475 Km) to the North and East, and Mozambique (1569 Km) to the South. It covers an area of 118,480 Sq. Km. The capital city is Lilongwe. Geography Malawi is a landlocked Country with varying terrain across it. It has main highland areas of Nyika and Viphya Plateaus to the North and other parts of the country, with the highest elevation point on Mount Mulanje called Sapitwa (3002m). Most low lying areas are found along the lake Shore, with lowest elevation point located at the junction of the Shire river and the international boundary with Mozambique (37m). Lake Malawi is the largest lake among other lakes namely Chirwa, Malombe, and Kazuni. Malawi experiences a tropical Climate with dry seasons during the months of May to November and rainy season during the other months particularly December to March. People Malawi has a population of about 10,000,416 (July 1999 est.), with 90% of the population living in the rural areas, and population growth rate of 1.57% (1999 est.). The ethnic group composition of Malawian Culture includes Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian and European. The national language is Chichewa while English is the official language. Other languages are Tumbuka used in the North and Yao in the South. Most people in Malawi are Christians while others still observe traditional beliefs. The religions of Malawi include Protestants (55%), Roman Catholic (20%), Muslim (20%), and the remaining for traditional indigenous beliefs and other minor religions. Economy As a land locked country, Malawi's economy is predominantly based on agriculture which accounts for about 45 % of Gross National Product and more than 90% of the country's export earnings. At least 80% of the agricultural produce comes from smallholder farmers on customary land. The rest is produced by commercial farmers on estates. the main crops grown in Malawi are Maize, tobacco, tea, sugarcane, groundnuts, cotton, wheat, coffee, rice, and pulses. Malawi is an exporter of primary produce and net importer of industrial goods. It's major exports include tobacco, sugar, and groundnuts while it's major imports are intermediate (chemical and allied) goods for industry. The economy also depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations.