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& Fast Facts About Malawi Read on and find out more about this small, beautiful nation! “The Warm Malawi used to be
known as Nyasaland. Established in 1891, it was a
British protectorate and became an independent nation in 1964. The constitution was implemented in 1994. |
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SOME FACTS ABOUT
MALAWI (2004)
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PEOPLE Population: 11,651,239 Ethnic Groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena,
Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde,
Asian, European Religions:
Protestant (55%), Roman Catholic (20%), Muslim (20%), Indigenous
beliefs (3%), Other (2%) Languages: English (government) &
Chichewa (official) – Tribal languages important regionally Literacy: Total population: 62% (males =
76%, females = 49%) Age Structure:
1-14 = 46.8%; 15-64 = 50.5%, 65 & Up = 2.7% Median Age:
16.1 years Life Expectancy at Birth: 37.98 Birth & Death Rates: 44.7 per 1000 & 22.64 deaths
per 1000 Total Fertility Rate:
6.1 children per woman Infant Mortality Rate:
105.15 per 1000 live births HIV/AIDS: Adult- 15% · COMMUNICATIONS Telephones: 45,000 Radio Stations: 9 AM, 5 FM, 2
Shortwave TV Stations: 1 |
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ECONOMY Below Poverty Line: 54% (per capita income = $184) Labor Force:
4.5 million (86% in Agriculture) Industries:
Tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods Agricultural Products:
Tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava Currency: Kwacha (MWK) 76.69 MWK = 1 USD
(2002) (31.07 in 1998) |
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Public education is till fairly new in Malawi.
Many adult students are finally getting the opportunity to learn to
read. They need books to read so they
can practice their skills and continue to learn and grow! |
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· GEOGRAPHY Location: Below the Equator in Southern
Africa – Between Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn Borders: 1,789 total miles – Mozambique =
975; Tanzania = 295 & Zambia = 507 Area:
94,000 sq km plus 24,400 sq km of water. Slightly
smaller than Pennsylvania – about 100 miles wide & 555 miles long Climate: Subtropical - rainy season
November-May & dry season May-November Elevation Extremes: Lowest point – 123 ft &
highest 10,000 ft (Mt Mulanje) Natural Resources: Limestone, arable land,
hydropower & unexploited uranium, coal & bauxite Environmental
Issues: Deforestation,
land degradation, water pollution (runoff) Bodies of Water: Lake Nyasa – 3rd
largest lake in Africa (50 miles X 355 miles) & contains more fish
species than any other inland lake (600 species – 95% found ONLY in Lake
Malawi) including Cichlids Flora: Over 400 species of Orchids Fauna: Elephants, giraffes, zebras,
lions, bushbuck, baboons, hippos, & largest concentration of leopards in
Africa |
YOU can help the people of Malawi! This is
something you can do on your own, right now and whatever you do WILL make a difference! There is no red-tape! There is NO administrative
overhead. No money changes hands. How? You just do it! You just mail books - send one bundle of books or send a bundle whenever you feel like it! If you are a member of a group or an organization, you can adopt this project as your own and help us make Caleb Library in Rumphi, Malawi a place where students can read and grow and prepare for life in the bigger world outside their village. |
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The Malawi flag depicts sunrise! www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html |
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Contribute to Africa’s Literacy and Education with
Books Contributing to
Africa's Literacy & Education with Books: The CALEB Library
Project Feedback,
submissions, ideas? Email Let’s make CALEB Library Project a success! |
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