Abstract:
Malawi’s geographic features shape the country and the lives of those who call
it home. First inhabited by the Chewa people during the time of the Maravi
empire, these people continue to this day attempting to tame the land and
create a home. The relatively heavily populated country is geographically
small, but provides a variety of climates and land-forms.
Malawi
is located south of the Sahara Desert and west of the Indian Ocean. At
approximately 13 degrees south and 34 degrees east, the entire country lies in
the southern hemisphere and east of the Prime Meridian. More than 17 million people call this small
African nation home. With each holding less than half a million people,
Blantyre and Lilongwe are the largest cities in Malawi with the later also
serving as the country’s capital city. Blantyre is located in the southern
region of the country while Lilongwe is more centrally located. Other significant
municipalities include Mzuzu in the North and Zomba in the south.
The
dominant geographic feature of Malawi is Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in
Africa. This vast body of water lies along the eastern boarder separating
Malawi from Mozambique. Malawi’s other close neighbors include Tanzania and
Zambia. Lake Malawi is the source of industry for many Malawian families. Men
fish the waters in simple boats with the hopes of catching fish to feed their
families and sell at market. It is a dangerous job, as hippos and crocodiles
commonly snatch fishermen from their boats, but it is often the only viable
source on income. The large lake drains into the Shire River in the south which
eventually flows into the Zambezi River.
The
western landscape rises form the high plateaus which shape the land. In these
regions winters are chillier and even frigid on occasion. For impoverished
Malawian, the harsher climate of this region makes life more challenging. The
areas of southern Malawi which lie at sea level are more densely populated.
Malawi
was once a part of the Maravi Empire which stretched from modern day Mozambique
to Zambia. Lake Malawi was in the center of the Empire providing a vital waterway.
Malawians were first introduced to
Europeans in the 1600s when Portuguese sailors landed on the coast of modern
day Mozambique entering from the Indian Ocean. The Malawians or Chewa people, traded
slaves and goods with the Portuguese.
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