Malawi is a country located in southeast Africa, bounded to the north and northeast by Tanzania, to the east, south and southwest by Mozambique and to the west by Zambia. The Rift Valley fault line crosses its territory from north to south. From the east towards the west the land increases in altitude until giving rise to plateaus at 1,200 metres above sea level and 2,400m in the north. Nevertheless, Malawi’s highest peak is the Saptiwa, located in the Mulanje Massif, at over 3000 meters above sea level.
Lake Nyasa or Malawi is the largest in the country and the third largest in Africa, at 30,800 km2. The most important river is the Shire, an outlet of Lake Nyasa. The climate is tropical, with frequent rainfall, especially in the south.
Only 16% of the population lives in urban areas and 90% of Malawians live in the vicinity of Lake Nyasa. The country’s inhabitants descend from many races, although most of these are Bantu. Most of them live off agriculture.
The duties of the Executive branch are performed by the president, who is head of state and of government. Those of the legislative branch are exercised by the National Assembly, currently consisting of 184 deputies. The main body in the Judiciary is the Supreme Court of Appeal.
