Malawi Highlights MALAWI Video Malawi 2. General Information MALAWI, including voice over https://www.doubledutchworldsafari.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Malawi-reduced-245MB-long-version-1-1.mp4 2. General Information Malawi The country is nicknamed “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of the friendliness of the people. Lake Malawi is the main reason to visit Malawi. Partly because of its sheer size. It is 350 miles long from its northern to its southern tip. This measurement makes it the ninth largest lake in the world, and the third largest and second deepest in Africa. Lake Malawi covers 20% of Malawi. Malawi is small, just 900km long and at the most just 300km wide. South Malawi is the most populated and developed region. Central Malawi is home to the capital Lilongwe and Northern Malawi is the least populated area. Chintheche supposed to have the best beaches in Malawi. Malawi is one of the 45 landlocked countries in the world, but 20% of the country is water (Lake Malawi). Malawi has received a significant amount of foreign capital in the form of development aid and has allowed Malawi to at times produce a food surplus. Nevertheless, its population has suffered from chronic malnutrition, high rates of infant mortality and grinding poverty (AMAZING!!!!), a paradox often attributed to an agricultural system that has favoured large estate owners. Agricultural products constitute a large proportion of Malawian export revenue; the most important of these are tobacco, sugar, tea, and cotton. Tea is grown on plantations on the Shire Highlands; coffee is produced mostly in the Shire Highlands and in northern Malawi. With the rise of worldwide campaigns against smoking, however, farmers have been increasingly encouraged to diversify so as not to be wholly dependent on tobacco. Corn (maize) is the principal food crop and is typically grown with beans, peas, and peanuts (groundnuts) throughout the country by virtually all smallholders. Other important food crops include cassava (manioc), bananas, pulses, sweet potatoes, and rice; chickens, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats are raised. Most of Malawi’s population engages in cash-crop and subsistence agriculture. Malawi has a low life-expectancy and high infant mortality. There is a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, which is a drain on the labour force and government expenditures. Malawi is among the world’s least developed countries. The economy is heavily based in agriculture, with a largely rural population. In 2008, I was told Malawi received over 600 million dollars in foreign aid. The purchase in 2009 of a private presidential jet followed almost immediately by a nationwide fuel shortage which was officially blamed on logistical problems, however was more likely due to the hard currency shortage caused by the jet purchase according to observers and locals! International observers noted issues in several human rights areas, included violence against woman, human trafficking and child labour. Corruption within security forces is also an issue. Malawi had one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. In 2015 Malawi raised the legal age for marriage from 15 to 18. Other issues that have been raised are lack of adequate legal protection of women from sexual abuse and harassment, very high maternal mortality rate, and abuse related to accusations of witchcraft. As of 2010, homosexuality has been illegal in Malawi. In one 2010 case, a couple perceived as homosexual faced extensive jail time.