PEOPLE
Malawi
derives its name from the Maravi, a Bantu people who came from
the southern Congo about 600 years ago. On reaching the area north
of Lake Malawi, the Maravi divided. One branch, the ancestors
of the present-day Chewas, moved south to the west bank of the
lake. The other, the ancestors of the Nyanjas, moved down the
east bank to the southern part of the country.
By AD
1500, the two divisions of the tribe had established a kingdom
stretching from north of the present-day city of Nkhotakota to
the Zambezi River in the south, and from Lake Malawi in the east,
to the Luangwa River in Zambia in the west.
Migrations
and tribal conflicts precluded the formation of a cohesive Malawian
society until the turn of the 20th century. In more recent years,
ethnic and tribal distinctions have diminished. Regional distinctions
and rivalries, however, persist. Despite some clear differences,
no significant friction currently exists between tribal groups,
and the concept of a Malawian nationality has begun to take hold.
Predominately a rural people, Malawians are generally conservative
and traditionally nonviolent.
The
Chewas constitute 90% of the population of the central region;
the Nyanja tribe predominates in the south and the Tumbuka in
the north. In addition, significant numbers of the Tongas live
in the north; Ngonis--an offshoot of the Zulus who came from South
Africa in the early 1800s--live in the lower northern and lower
central regions; and the Yao, who are mostly Muslim, live along
the southeastern border with Mozambique. .
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Malawian(s).
Population (2007 est.): 13,603,181 (approximate figure for 2007 from National Statistics Office estimates).
Annual growth rate (2006): 3.3%.
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 (official), Chichewa (official), regional dialects, i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao, Chilomwe.
Education: Years compulsory--none. Enrollment (2004)--primary, 82%. Literacy (2004 est., age 15 and older)--64%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2004)--76 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (at birth, 2005 est.)--40 yrs.
