Malawi Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeast Africa.

Area
118,484 sq km (45,747 sq miles).

Population
11.9 million (UN estimate 2002).

Population Density
100.2 per sq km.

Capital
Lilongwe.
Population: 440,471 including suburbs (1998). Blantyre, with a population of 502,053 (1998), is the largest city in the country.

Government
Republic since 1966. Gained independence from the UK in 1964.

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

Religion
80 per cent are Christian, 13 per cent Muslim, 7 per cent follow traditional beliefs and there is a small Hindu minority.

Time
GMT + 2.

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. The standard plug is square three-pin.

Head of State
President Bingu Wa Mutharika since 2004.

Telephone
Country code: 265 (no area codes). Outgoing international code: 101. The digits 01 were added to the beginning of each land telephone number in 2002; the zero should be omitted when calling from outside Malawi.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements currently exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good in urban areas.

Internet
Services are available in business centers in hotels, and there are a few Internet cafes.

Media
Radio is the chief source of information.

Post
Letters take about seven to 10 days to reach Europe by airmail.

Post office hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1300-1700. Post offices in some of the larger towns may be open Sun 0900-1000, but only to sell stamps or to accept telegrams.

Press
• There are two main daily English-language newspapers, The Daily Times and The Nation.
• The Malawi News is published weekly.

Radio
• Radio Malawi Broadcasting Corporation operates national networks Radio One and Radio Two.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
15 Jan Chilembwe Day.
3 Mar Martyrs’ Day.
6-9 Apr Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
14 Jun Freedom Day.
6 Jul Republic Day.
8 Oct Mothers’ Day.
13 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
15 Jan Chilembwe Day.
3 Mar Martyrs’ Day.
21-24 Mar Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
14 Jun Freedom Day.
6 Jul Republic Day.
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
13 Oct Mothers’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Note
If a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be a holiday; if on a Sunday, the next day will be a holiday. Ad hoc public holidays or extensions may also be declared, sometimes at short notice.

Contact Information:

Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife
Street address: Tourism House, off Convention Drive, Lilongwe, Malawi
Postal address: P/Bag 326, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
Tel: (0) 177 5499/2702.
Website: www.malawitourism.com

High Commission for the Republic of Malawi and Malawi Tourist Office in the UK
33 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4QT, UK
Tel: (020) 7491 4172/7.
E-mail: tourism@malawihighcomm.prestel.co.uk (tourism section).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1600.

Malawi Tourism Information Service in the UK
4 Christian Fields, London SW16 3JZ, UK
Tel: (0115) 982 1903.
Website: www.malawitourism.com

Embassy of the Republic of Malawi in the USA
1156 15th Atreet, Suite 320, NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Tel: (202) 721 0270. Fax: (202) 721 0288.


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