Month: April 2024

I. Introduction

In June 2009 Madonna Lou Ciccone –the world’s most successful singer — put Malawi — which had never received mention in the world press in recent years — on the world map when she traveled to the African Republic, which is slightly larger than the state of Ohio, and adopted a girl. And what do you know about this African nation?

II. Welcome to the Land of Hippopotamuses

Malawi is a magical heavenly country, perfect for those who value a natural lifestyle. This African country, with over 36% of its land still covered by tropical forests, has several national parks. Malawi’s wildlife refuges are home to antelopes, hyrax, elephants, zebras, giraffes, crocodiles, rhinoceros, lions, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, and other animals.

Lake Malawi National Park has one of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes. This lake has an area of 11,150 km2 — it is nearly 9 times larger than Rhode Island — with extensive native vegetation and wild animals such as hippos. Since the 1970s this area has been a focus for an important tourism industry. Many foreign tourists traveled to the lake Nyasa — also known as Malawi — and other natural sanctuaries each year to see and photograph the hippopotamuses that live there. This lake , one of the world’s ten largest lakes, has been compared to the Galapagos islands (Ecuador, South America) for its wildlife. It has more wildlife than any other lake in the world. The Malawi Lake, for example, has one of the world’s highest densities of fishes ( 500 different types of fishes, nearly all endemic ). This area is also a refuge for such birds as kingfishers, cormorants, and fish eagles. Lake Malawi National Park was declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1984.

The Chongoni Rock-Art Area is another famous tourist attraction.

III. A Brief History of Malawi

Landlocked Malawi, formerly Nyasaland, has been an independent country since the latter half of the 20th century. In the previous century, it had been controlled by the United Kingdom. In this period, the British greatly influenced both the economical and life of the country. Like many former British colonies, it is a member of the Commonwealth. Malawi has spent many of its post-independence years under dictatorial rule.

From 1964 to 1994, Malawi was ruled by dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who established one of Africa’s worst kleptocracies. At the domestic level he also had pursued a scorched-earth policy against Asians and other minorities. During his iron-fisted rule of Malawi, he had close ties with the white-ruled South Africa, a pariah state in the international community. SA was criticized because of its government’s racist policies. In this period, Malawi’s dictator Kamuzu Banda made the world headlines when he arrived in Pretoria to confer with South African

leaders. Kamuzu Banda became the first and only African head of state to travel to the country of apartheid. This visit did not have a parallel in the diplomatic world.

Shortly thereafter, the South African government sent economical aid to Malawi, one of the least-developed countries on the African continent. Certainly Pretoria had played a leading role in the country’s economy.

Without a Doubt, Kamuzu Banda was one of the world’s most hated leaders. But to deflect international opinion, which had condemned his policy toward South Africa, the national government boycotted the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada.

At the same time, Kamuzu Banda aligned his country with the anti-Communist movement in Africa, along with Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zaire ( present-day the Democratic Republic of the Congo ). In this context, he established full diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a country which is not recognized by the United Nations. On August 4, 1967, President Kamuzu Banda went to Taipei for an official visit. During the Cold War, Malawi was an ally of Taiwan. On the other hand, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II went to Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, for an official visit in 1989.

The dictatorship came to an end after 30 years and Malawi became a new democratic country. On May 17, 1994 Malawi held its first multiparty presidential election and Bakili Muluzi became head of state. This landlocked country is one of the few democracies in the African region. In 2004 Bingu wa Mutharika won the second free elections. In 2008 he — country’s second post-Cold War president — granted diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China against the opposition of Taipei.

This landlocked country is one of Africa’s most peaceful nations. Unlike most of its neighbors, Malawi has never had civil wars or coup d’etats. Malawi is a haven for refugees from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.…