Soft drinks are quite prevalent, especially Coca-Cola. Alcoholic beverages are mainly beer (there is a large brewery in Blantyre), a homemade brew called chibuku, that is usually produced by women and served in cut-off milk cartons, and a more potent distilled liquor that often causes severe health problems.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Food
Chickens, goats, and an occasional pig are used to supplement the standard dish of boiled cornmeal called nsima. Nsima is eaten twice a day, usually at lunch and dinner, and is preferred by most people to rice or potatoes. Fruits are plentiful, including mangoes, melons, oranges, bananas, and pineapples. Vegetables are cultivated but are not popular.
Culture
People: Malawi is often called the "warm heart of Africa." because of the warms and friendliness of the people. Malawians typically live with their extended families in huts that are grouped together in villages. A spirit of cooperation prevails as family members share both work and resources.
The Malawi people are of Bantu origin with the ethnic groups including Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian and European.
The Chichewa (Chewa) people forming the largest part of population group and are largely in the central and southern parts of the country.
The Yao people are predominately found around the southern area of Lake Malawi.
Tumbuka are found mainly in the north of the country.
There are very small populations of Asian and European people living mainly in the cities.
Music:The music traditions of Malawi are rich with cultural influences that include those of the Zulu Ngoni people from South Africa, the Islamic Yao people of Tanzania and others.
Most tribes have their own individual songs and dances. Common musical instruments found include drums, the mambilira, (which is similar to the western xylophone) rattles of different types and sizes, shakers which are tied to dancers' legs and arms and are often know as maseche.
To hear the National Anthem of Malawi visit... http://www.africaguide.com/midis/malawi.mid
To see the words to the National Anthem visit...http://www.nationalanthems.info/mw.txt
Art:Malawi produces various colourful arts and crafts which are handworked to a high standard. There are many craft markets spread throughout the country and along the roadsides.
Language: English is the official language and is very widely spoken, particularly in main towns, but sometimes also in remote rural areas.
Chichewa/Chinyanja is the common national tongue widely used throughout the country where, from 1968 until recently, it has served as the national language.
Of the other languages spoken in Malawi, Tumbuka is spoken by about 500,000 people in the north, and Yao is spoken by about 600,000 people in the south.
Religion:The Chewa people, who form the largest part of the population predominantly Christian/Protestant and the Yao people are mainly Muslim.
The religious groups in Malawi can be broken down aproximately as follow:
Protestant 55%
Muslim 20%
Roman Catholic 20%
for traditional indigenous beliefs and other minor religions 5%
The Malawi people are of Bantu origin with the ethnic groups including Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian and European.
The Chichewa (Chewa) people forming the largest part of population group and are largely in the central and southern parts of the country.
The Yao people are predominately found around the southern area of Lake Malawi.
Tumbuka are found mainly in the north of the country.
There are very small populations of Asian and European people living mainly in the cities.
Music:The music traditions of Malawi are rich with cultural influences that include those of the Zulu Ngoni people from South Africa, the Islamic Yao people of Tanzania and others.
Most tribes have their own individual songs and dances. Common musical instruments found include drums, the mambilira, (which is similar to the western xylophone) rattles of different types and sizes, shakers which are tied to dancers' legs and arms and are often know as maseche.
To hear the National Anthem of Malawi visit... http://www.africaguide.com/midis/malawi.mid
To see the words to the National Anthem visit...http://www.nationalanthems.info/mw.txt
Art:Malawi produces various colourful arts and crafts which are handworked to a high standard. There are many craft markets spread throughout the country and along the roadsides.
Language: English is the official language and is very widely spoken, particularly in main towns, but sometimes also in remote rural areas.
Chichewa/Chinyanja is the common national tongue widely used throughout the country where, from 1968 until recently, it has served as the national language.
Of the other languages spoken in Malawi, Tumbuka is spoken by about 500,000 people in the north, and Yao is spoken by about 600,000 people in the south.
Religion:The Chewa people, who form the largest part of the population predominantly Christian/Protestant and the Yao people are mainly Muslim.
The religious groups in Malawi can be broken down aproximately as follow:
Protestant 55%
Muslim 20%
Roman Catholic 20%
for traditional indigenous beliefs and other minor religions 5%
Monday, May 11, 2009
Recent News
Madonna has adopted a child from Malawi and wants to adopt another. She has one daughter and is looking to get another daughter, Mercy James who is four. The Queen of Pop, who has been trying to adopt four-year-old Mercy James, turned up at the red carpet in a navy blue wench-inspired mini, kinky thigh-high PVC boots, and jeweled black fingerless gloves. Madonna may have jeopardised her chances of adopting a second Malawian child after sporting a “slut look” at an event, sparking speculation about her morality. Somme say she looks like a cleening lady with something to talk about. She is 50 and adopting a four year old and a mother of a six year old. Mercy's father James Kambewa says it is an "immoral dressing." Who knows, Madonna may end up with just one child and with no one to blame but herself.
Creative Writing
I am a prairie dog. I look like an over-sized rat. My name is Tucker. I scurry around the country to find food for my family. I have 4 kids and 1 wife. When I am traveling with my family, it takes us longer but it is more fun. I like being with my family. When I am traveling alone, I can go faster and don't have to stop a lot but is quite boring and lonely. When you look around you see lots of preditors, , birds, and other animals. It is tuff to avoid them. I run through the brush and dirt to camoflauge myself. I once out ran a falcon. I was scared out of my witts. Sometimes, if we are traveling and we find a campfire with no one at it and unattended food, we will grab some and run. If we were to get caught, who knows what would happen to us. I don't think it would be good, we would be dinner. We have traveled through rough summers with the blazing hot sun beaming down on us. It is always hot when it is 75-85 degrees, but during the summer it is between 90 and 105 degrees. We try to stay in one place over the summer because it is som miserable with childer in the hot summer. I like it in the winter when it is around 60 degrees. Then we can travel without problems. We dig holes in the ground. We dig 4 small holes and 2 big holes that meet up under ground, so if there is a problem, we all arn't scurrying out of the same hole. We make a cave under ground in the summer months so we can be spread out so we arn't as hot. But during the winter months, we make 2 holes to keep as much warm air inside. W make a tight space so we are all squished together and warm. We hardly ever sneak into orphanages but when we do we go straight to the kitchen and the women give us snacks. Sommetimes we play with the children when the adults arn't looking because they think we could give the aids. Life is pretty good as a prairie dog, I like this.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Landforms
There are 5 main landform areas, the Highlands, Escarpments, Plateaux, Lakeshore and Upper Shire Valley, and the Lower Shire Valley:
Escarpments: These are associated with major fault lines along the edge of the Rift Valley, running from Karonga in the north to Nsanje in the south. They are also found around the highland plateaux and mountains.
Highlands: These consist of isolated mountains between 1,320-3,000 masl. Extensive highland plateaux are found in the Nyika, Viphya and Mulanje, while Dedza and Zomba are more isolated.
Plateaux:Three quarters of Malawi consists of plateaux at elevations of 750-1300 masl. The topography is flat to rolling, with scattered rock inselbergs. The soil is deep well drained latosols on higher parts of the catena, with poorly drained sand and clay in the hollows. Poorly drained hollows are locally called dambos, (equivalent to vleis in Zimbabwe and South Africa).
Lakeshore and Upper Shire Valley: Lakeshore plains occupy 8% of the total land area, at 465-600 masl. The land is flat to gently undulating, with deep calcimorphic soils in the hollows. The upper Shire River flows through a broad flat valley from the south of the lake towards the south of the country. Soils are similar to those along the lakeshore. Mopanosols are found in some areas along the river.
Lower Shire Valley:The lower Shire extends from Kapachira falls to Nsanje at the bottom of the country, mostly at less than 180 masl. The river flows through two marshes with extensive areas of hydromorphic soils. To the east of the river, up to the Thyolo escarpment, soils are medium to coarse textured alluvial and colluvial. To the west there is a broad plain with vertisols and grey brown earths, rising towards the western escarpment. Some areas of saline soils are found.
Escarpments: These are associated with major fault lines along the edge of the Rift Valley, running from Karonga in the north to Nsanje in the south. They are also found around the highland plateaux and mountains.
Highlands: These consist of isolated mountains between 1,320-3,000 masl. Extensive highland plateaux are found in the Nyika, Viphya and Mulanje, while Dedza and Zomba are more isolated.
Plateaux:Three quarters of Malawi consists of plateaux at elevations of 750-1300 masl. The topography is flat to rolling, with scattered rock inselbergs. The soil is deep well drained latosols on higher parts of the catena, with poorly drained sand and clay in the hollows. Poorly drained hollows are locally called dambos, (equivalent to vleis in Zimbabwe and South Africa).
Lakeshore and Upper Shire Valley: Lakeshore plains occupy 8% of the total land area, at 465-600 masl. The land is flat to gently undulating, with deep calcimorphic soils in the hollows. The upper Shire River flows through a broad flat valley from the south of the lake towards the south of the country. Soils are similar to those along the lakeshore. Mopanosols are found in some areas along the river.
Lower Shire Valley:The lower Shire extends from Kapachira falls to Nsanje at the bottom of the country, mostly at less than 180 masl. The river flows through two marshes with extensive areas of hydromorphic soils. To the east of the river, up to the Thyolo escarpment, soils are medium to coarse textured alluvial and colluvial. To the west there is a broad plain with vertisols and grey brown earths, rising towards the western escarpment. Some areas of saline soils are found.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Animal Life
Malawi has many different species of animals.Malawi has nine (9) National Parks that hous endangered animals.There are other animals out in the wild that the Parks are unable to catch, have no place to put the animal or the animal isnt as endangered as some other animals they want to help.Here are most of the species of animals they hous: lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants. There are some other animals like the antelopes, caracel and serval that are also found here. Caracel and serval are actually two different species of small wild cats. They are small yet very dangerous. But the animal that is most commonly found in Malawi is the hippo. In fact, the hippos are found in such a big number in Malawi, that now-a-days, the animal has become an unofficial symbol of the varied Malawi wildlife.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Important Information
Official Name: Mfuko la Malawi
Capital: Lilongwe
President: Bingu wa Mutharika
Area: 118,484 sq km
Population: 11.1 million
Growth Rate: 0.9%
Languages: English, Chichewa & Yao
Currency: Malawi kwacha (MK)
GDP per capita: $750
Inflation: 80%
Capital: Lilongwe
President: Bingu wa Mutharika
Area: 118,484 sq km
Population: 11.1 million
Growth Rate: 0.9%
Languages: English, Chichewa & Yao
Currency: Malawi kwacha (MK)
GDP per capita: $750
Inflation: 80%
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