Malawi

By: Alex, Lina, Ashley, Cindy, Alice,Yaya

Climate

Malawi has a sub-tropical climate, which is relatively dry and strongly seasonal. The warm-wet season stretches from November to April, during which 95% of the annual precipitation takes place. Annual average rainfall varies from 725mm to 2,500mm with Lilongwe having an average of 900mm, Blantyre 1,127mm, Mzuzu 1,289mm and Zomba 1,433mm. Extreme conditions include the drought that occurred in 1991-92 season and floods of 1988-89 season.

Geography

• Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by lake Malawi. Malawi is over 45,560 sq mi with an estimated population of 16,777,547. Its capital is Lilongwe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi

language

• The official working language is English, while Chichewa is the national language. Other local languages are spoken, of which the main are Yao and Tumbuka. All local languages use the Roman script. Even though there are a variety of language spoken in Malawi, the main one is Chichewa however as it is not spoken by all. English is the second most spoken language in Malawi, again not everyone speaks or understand it.

Holiday #1

• Wednesday, January 01 Chilimike Day• Martyrs’ Day Monday, March 03• Freedom Day Saturday, June 14• Republic Day Sunday, July 06• End of Ramadan Friday, July 18• Mother’s Day Monday, October 13• Christmas Day Thursday, December 25• Boxing Day Friday, December 26

Holiday #2• Usually about music, art and dance• The best-known event is the Lake of Stars ( an annual four-day music

festival attracting thousands of oversea visitors every October)• The Chilimike celebrations are Malawi’s New Year festivities, enjoyed on

January 1 as a public holiday. • Martyrs’ day-which represents those who lost their lives during the

struggle for independence which began with the war against British colonial rule.

• Christianity easter is the dominant religion in Malawi, with whole Week its major festival. Held in March/April depending on the Gregorian calendar, the period is marked by processions and church services, and Good Friday and Easter Monday both public holidays.

Holiday #3• Malawians are very proud of their comparatively new country, with Kamuzu Day

in May a celebration of the life and work of their first President, Dr. Kamuzu Banda.

• Republic Day is a national holiday for Malawi people to celebrate its emergence as a democratic republic on July 6, 1964.

• Beginning in August, the Malapenga Dance Season is a traditional celebration of one of Malawi’s most iconic dance forms. Exhibitions take place all over and are some of the most-loved demonstrations of the country's rich heritage.

• Held along the shore of Lake Malawi in October, this spectacular four-day event is featured on the global music festival calendar, showcasing both Malawian artists and international guest bands with styles ranging from reggae, Afropop and traditional folk to famous global DJs. Proceeds are donated to local charities.

• This newly created event takes place every November in Malawi’s largest city and showcases traditional and modern theatre, dance, poetry and the visual arts in venues across the area.

Facts• Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the

independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year.

• President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009.

• As president, he oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

Sports

• Shaped from the old English empire and the old British empire• The main sport is Soccer (national soccer team) Netball is a popular

Sport for school girls• Malawi competed in two Netball tournaments they got 5th place

beating some super strong teams• The Volunteers from the USA group called PC introduced Volleyball and

Basketball to Malawi in 1964• Professionals from the us helped colleges learn to play better basketball.• At the year of 2000 there was more developing in sports• 2008 Malawi sent 4 people to Beijing summer Olympics there they did

track and field and swimming• Now they have cricket squash and tennis

picture http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/news-and-media/latest-news/england-v-malawi-match-report-world-netball-championships-2011-group-d_id3c0cc6be-94f5-465f-a039-9e1b1599c377 &http://www.arprice.com/picsawbz/Malawi-National-Football-Team.html

Foods

• nsima- it is made from corn flour with water.• kachumbari-a type of tomato, cucumber and onion

salad.• Kondowole-it is made from cassava flour and water.it is

often ate with utaka(a kind of a fish). • Malawi’s hot climate effects to let cassava plants to

grow because it need hot wether to grow.• Malawi’s hot climate effects to let them eat cold dishes

like tomato and onion salad. Picture by:http://timesmediamw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Nsima.jpg &http://www.travelingeast.com/africa/kenya/kenyan-cuisine/

music

• Malawi music has historically been influenced through its triple cultural heritage (British, African, American) s.

• By the end of the war, guitar and banjo duos were the most popular type of dance bands. Both instruments were important.

• Malawians working in the mines in South Africa and Mozambique also led to fusion and blending in music styles, giving rise to music styles like Kwela.

• One such singer was tony bird a folk rock singer-songwriter he performed anti-colonial music about life for regular Malawians during the colonial period.

Picture by:http://soulsafari.wordpress.com/tag/fifties/

Dances

• Impromptu dancing-The dance is like folk tales, They pass in and on and on.

• The dance is unplanned in Malawi. if Someone just start dancing, then everyone follows.

Picture by:http://blogs.state.gov/photos/2012/08/20/women-sing-and-dance-food-security-program-malawi

Homes

• unbaked brick and thatched roofs• - square some are circular • -grass or mud floors.• -grass-thatched roof with sheets of plastic.• Malawi’s hot climate effects houses made by

wood to make it cool.

Picture by:http://malawihero.org/Culture.aspx

Money

Malawi Money: Kawacha 1 Kawacha = 0.002 US Dollar, 0.002 Euro 0.24 Japanese Yen, 0.001 British Pound 0.002 Australian Dollar, 0.002 Swiss Franc 0.005 Papua New Guinea Kina 0.002 Cayman Dollar

picture by:http://www.orizzontemalawi.org/archives/23441349

clothes

Picture by:http://www.rebirth.co.za/traditional_african_clothing.htm

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/newsletter/2002-12-01.shtml

http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/930/wm/pd1190912.jpg