Facts About Malawi Africa – The essence of any Malawi vacation is centered around the nature around Lake Malawi. But also small amusement parks and round trips would make your vacation an adventure!
In Malawi, almost everything is a size smaller than in its neighbors Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The country meanders like a caterpillar over the East African Rift, and if you want to cross the borders from east to west, you have to cover a mere eighty kilometers in some regions in Malawi.
Only one thing is very big here – Lake Malawi, because it is more of a sea, 560 kilometers long and over seven hundred meters deep here and there. It shapes the landscape of Malawi and has a strong influence on the well-being and woe of the people who live on the shores of the great lake.
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Interesting Facts About Malawi Africa For Kids
Malawi is still hardly known to tourists. But it is growing- and attracts visitors with its recultivated national parks, the picturesque underwater world of Lake Malawi, and grotesque masquerades.
Official language | Chichewa, English |
religion | Christians (80%), Muslims (12%) |
surface | 118,480 km² |
Residents | 14,212,000 |
Population density | 120.0 inhabitants per km² |
Capital | Lilongwe |
currency | Malawi-Kwacha, 1 Malawi-Kwacha = 100 tambala |
Time zone | UTC + 2h, CAT – Central Africa Time |
Phone code | +265 |
Mains voltage | 230V |
International Airport | Lilongwe (LLW) |
St. Vitus dance
A man dressed in a monster costume with a red and white giant head race towards children and women. It spins around in circles, whirls up sand until it almost disappears in a cloud of dust, and moves stones into the crowd. It kneels, jumps up again, hops, rages, looks bitterly angry. His fringed fur bobs along, following each of the chaotic movements.
A dance of St. Vitus in the African forest. A large ring of people under an old marula tree on the edge of the village on Lake Malawi is always watching. However, the locals obviously consider this mixture of devils, humans, and animals to be dangerous.
Interesting facts About Lake Malawi – Nyassa
A Fun Fact About Malawi For Kids Is That when the British explorer David Livingstone was the first white man to stand on its shores in the middle of the 19th century and asked the natives what name this lake had, they answered “Nyassa”. Livingstone had no idea that the Chewa people had never thought of giving this lake a name. They called it simply “Nyassa – waters”.
Up until the present day, the Nyassa Sea was marked on African maps, and one of the great errors in the history of the Black Continent was only corrected after the country gained independence when it was renamed Lake Malawi.
Which, by the way, does not prevent English cartographers from sticking to the historical name of the water: Lake Nyasa.
Lake Malawi – as big as a sea.
The inhabitants are almost without exception dependent on the fruits of their “sea” and the fisherman’s profession has a very high priority in the small country. This is a quiet lake because it knows neither currents nor tides and anyone who moves on it in a kayak will be amazed because they hardly ever come across a motor ship.
The MV Chilembwe ship alone transports its passengers between Malawi and Mozambique and the legendary MS Ilala ship is the only connection with the outside world for many. The previous model of the Ilala came here on an adventurous journey on the Zambezi. On the way, the ship was dismantled and transported over rapids by eight hundred porters.
Green hills and lonely beaches
Thanks to secluded shingles with tropical shorelines, Malawi beach holidays offer heavenly conditions for romantic couples! A warm breeze flows from the lake to the luxurious lodges, which were built on green hills or directly in the sand of a bay. Snorkeling in the mesmerizing Lake or diving in the warm springs is something of a national sport here.
Vacationers experience fascinating underwater spectacles with countless colorful fish in Lake Malawi. In no other inland lake on the globe is there such a great diversity of species. This is one of the reasons why people in Malawi have now discovered that the colorful creatures of their lake are becoming commodity hits for aquarium enthusiasts all over the world.
Since the country found a peaceful path from dictatorship to democracy in 1994, tourism has also grown. Malawi has earned a reputation for being a sparkling little diamond among African nations, and it truly deserves it.
The “Big Five” are back too
However, Malawi, the country on the lake, which takes up a fifth of the landmass, has more to offer than beach holidays and snorkeling adventures. The “Big Five” are again at home in the national parks that are worth seeing and are protected by law and numerous rangers.
Elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions, and leopards were almost completely eradicated, and great efforts had to be made to correct this decay through poaching. The lion is the heraldic animal of Malawi and is wandering the bush and tree savannahs again today.
When the long-abandoned preserved areas were reopened, there were only bushbuck and kudu left there. It is thanks to a non-profit organization that large animals can now be found in this region again. And so is a Malawi safari absolutely another unforgettable adventure.
The wild animals were relocated
The chosen place to relocate those wild animals is between the south shore of Lake Malawi and the lifeline of Liwonde National Park. On a traditional Malawi safari, the participants are driven through areas that are often swampy and are therefore populated by numerous crocodiles on the shore zones.
A visit to the Majete Wildlife Reserve, which has recently also benefited from pursuits reminiscent of the biblical Noah’s Ark, is also informative and diverse. About 2500 animals were relocated and apparently feel very comfortable in their new terrain.
The lion families have grown and herds of elephants again dominate the scene. On a round trip through the national parks of Malawi, the days always end in cozy lodges where the animals go out of their way to gratify their visitors.
“Grass and Flowers – The Colors of Europe”
Malawi is very proud of its five national parks and four game reserves. Those who want to escape the tropical heat of the south for a few days will love the cooler north of the country, where the Nyika National Park extends to heights of 2600 meters.
The South African writer Laurens van der Post once described this fascinating area as follows: “It was like nowhere else here. It was deep in the heart of Africa- with the animals of Africa. The landscape, however, was covered with grass, the flowers and the colors of Europe “.
It is the realm of the leopards – surrounded by the fog that always makes nature green and bloom. A region that, like no other region on the black continent, has its natural and has retained its pristine charm.
Visit this paradisiacal place and stay in one of your preferred Malawi lodges. Malawi is said to be the “warm heart of Africa”. It is a heart that beats happily again after years of dictatorship.