10,441,000 (1997).

88.1 per sq km.

Lilongwe.

395,500 (1994, including suburbs). Blantyre, with a population of 446,800 (1994), is the largest city in the country.

Malawi shares borders to the north and northeast with Tanzania, to the south, east and southwest with Mozambique and to the north and northwest with Zambia. Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa, is the dominant feature of the country, forming the eastern boundary with Tanzania and Mozambique. The scenery varies in the country's three regions. The Northern Region is mountainous, with the highest peaks reaching to over 3000m (9843ft), and features the rolling Nyika Plateau, rugged escarpments, valleys and the thickly forested slopes of the Viphya Plateau. The Central Region is mainly a plateau, over 1000m (3300ft) high, with fine upland scenery. This is the country's main agricultural area. The Southern Region is mostly low-lying except for the 2100m-high (6890ft) Zomba Plateau south of Lake Malawi and the huge, isolated Mulanje Massif (3000m/10000ft) in the southeast. The variety of landscape and the wildlife it supports make this relatively unspoilt country particularly attractive to visitors.

Republic since 1966. Gained independence from the UK in 1964. Head of State and Government: President Bakili Muluzi since 1994.

The national language is the widely spoken Chichewa but the official language, and that of the business community, is English.

75% are Christian, 10% Muslim, 10% follow traditional beliefs and there is a small Hindu minority.

GMT + 2.

220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. The standard plug is square 3-pin.