Capital: Lilongwe

Population: 10.7 million

Area: 118,480 km²

Time: GMT + 2 hours

Currency:  Malawian kwacha (MWK))

Climate:  Due to its proximity to the tropics, the climate is quite warm and humid.  Summer is approximately from October to March (when temperatures average around 27’C ) and winter from May to August (when temperatures average around 13’C). The rainy season is between November and April. 

People: The population consists of different tribes like, the Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde as well as a low percentage of Asians and Europeans

Official language: Both English and Chichewa

Geography: Lake Malawi, in the west of the country, lies in the Great Rift Valley and the Shire River flows from it into the Shire Highlands and onto Mozambique.  From the lake shore, the land rises to a plateau.

Neighbouring countries: Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia

Economy:  The biggest part of the labour force is involved in agriculture and the production of  products like tea, tobacco, sugar etc., the majority of which is exported to South Africa, the United States, Japan and Europe.  Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world and extremely poor, with half of the country’s population living below the poverty line. The country has however, been seeing slight economic growth over the past few years.
 
When to go:  Most people prefer coming to Malawi in the dry season (about June to September), which is not only more pleasant, but the best time for game-viewing.  For birdwatching enthusiasts, the best time to visit Malawi is the early dry season.

What to pack: It is generally recommended that travellers bring lightweight clothes that are easily repacked and removed. 

• Shorts, T-shirts, sun dresses
• Raincoat or waterproof jacket
• Swimming costumes
• Good comfortable walking shoes
• Casual lightweight cotton, khaki or neutral coloured clothes for safaris
• Fleece or sweater and a warm jacket for cool evenings
• Wide brimmed hat
• Lots of sun tan lotion, sunblock and lip cream
• Insect repellent creams
• Binoculars, camera (different kinds of film are widely available )
• Sunglasses