Malawi

Malawi, once known as Nyasaland, is a populous country in Southeast Africa. The country is nicknamed The Warm Heart of Africa. It is ethnically diverse. Chichewa and English are official languages, and there are more than six others. The Great Rift Valley runs North-South through Malawi, and there are many bodies of water around it. Elsewhere there are mountains, and the climate conditions vary from hot to temperate. Agriculture is an important sector of the economy, along with industry and services. Improvements in this under-developed country are driving down the poverty level. Rankings for investment safety are almost on a par with that for personal safety.

Some animal species in Malawi are bushbucks, impalas, nyalas, kudus, and duikers. Lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants are also here, and there are nine major national parks. Mount Mulanje in Southern Malawi combines cliffs and waterfalls, and locals call it Island in the Sky. Lake Malawi, the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system and an African Great Lake, is the ninth-largest lake in the world. Its clear waters offer amazing diving and swimming.

Potatoes, sorghum, corn, and their by-products such as nsima (ground corn) are important starches. Tomatoes and many kinds of greens are probably the most popular vegetables. Commonly-eaten meats include beef, goat, and fish. Relishes like the tomato-onion kachumbari are often added to starch dishes like kondowole, which is a meal consisting of cassava flour and water. Try a simple vegetable ndiwo, sauteed greens and tomatoes on nsima or rice, or a variation called mkhwani that includes groundnut (peanut) flour in the recipe. Tea is excellent here, and the second-biggest export crop. Have a cuppa!