All Disciplines

Welcome to the Warm Heart of Africa! Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, is a wonderful place in which to live and work.  The climate is agreeable year-round, people are friendly, traffic is calm, and personal security threats are relatively rare.  Although we live in a comparatively “quiet” city by African standards, there are a variety of activities that keep our non-work hours filled.  Outdoor sports/recreation, community festivals, and home entertaining play key roles in Lilongwe.

LOCATION: Malawi is a small landlocked country in Africa, south of the equator between latitude 9 degrees 45' and 17 degrees 16' south and between longitudes 33 degrees 35' east.  Malawi is 46,066 square miles in area of which 9,425 square miles are Lakes Malawi, Malombe, and Chilwa.  Among the smallest countries in Africa, Malawi is approximately the size of Pennsylvania.  The country is bordered to the north and north-east by the Republic of Tanzania and to the east, south and south-west by the Republic of Mozambique.  The Republic of Zambia forms the Western border.

CAPITAL AND MAJOR CITIES: Lilongwe was declared the capital in January 1975.  All government ministries are in Lilongwe, but the bulk of media, academic, and commercial sectors remain in the southern cities of Blantyre and Zomba.  Mzuzu is the largest city in the north.

AREA AND CLIMATE: The country is dominated by Lake Malawi which runs along much of the eastern border.  The lake is 568 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide, accounting for 20 percent of Malawi's total surface area.  Malawi has a varied topography with mountains and rivers which have a direct effect on its climate.

Malawi has two main seasons, the dry and the wet.  The wet season extends from November to April, and rainfall can reach between 635mm and 3050mm.  From May to August, it is cool at night and dry.  In September, it is hot and dry, with October and November being the hottest months.

The predominant vegetation of Malawi is the savannah woodland.  Ever-green forests are found where ground water is plentiful as in river valleys and on mountains.  Grasslands are found on high plateaus and river-basins.

POPULATION: Malawi has a population of over 20 million people with several ethnic groups.  The Chewa are found in the central region.  The Yaos are mostly found along the lakeshore districts of the central and southern regions.  They are also found in Dedza, Machinga, Zomba, Blantyre, and Chiradzulu.

Lomwes are mainly found in the Shire Highlands areas of Thyolo and Mulanje while the Nkhonde, Lambya, Tonga, and Tumbuka are found in the north.  The Ngoni are found in both the northern and central regions.

CULTURE: Malawian culture is very friendly and very formal.  Initially, Malawian values and traditions may seem counterintuitive for visitors from the United States and will likely challenge American assumptions about independence and individuality.  In Malawi, a traditional male-dominated hierarchy is respected. Speaking out of turn or speaking one’s opinion too vociferously is highly discouraged.  Public shame in front of community and colleagues is to be avoided at all costs.  On the other hand, the informal community “safety net” to support those in need is gracious and often automatic.  A popular Malawian proverb states: “A single head does not carry a roof,” signifying that people are encouraged from an early age to work together and rarely take the initiative to solve problems alone.