Formerly Nyasaland. a republic in SE Africa, on the W and S shores of Lake Malawi: formerly a British protectorate and part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; gained independence July 6, 1964; a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 49,177 sq. mi. (127,368 sq. km).
Capital: Lilongwe.
2.
Lake. Formerly Nyasa. a lake in SE Africa, between Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. About 11,000 sq. mi. (28,500 sq. km).
Related forms
Malawian, adjective, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Malawi
Malawi
/məˈlɑːwɪ/
noun
1.
a republic in E central Africa: established as a British protectorate in 1891; became independent in 1964 and a republic, within the Commonwealth, in 1966; lies along the Great Rift Valley, with Lake Nyasa (Malawi) along the E border, the Nyika Plateau in the northwest, and the Shire (or Shiré) Highlands in the southeast. Official language: Chichewa; English and various other Bantu languages are also widely spoken. Religion: Christian majority, Muslim, and animist minorities. Currency: kwacha. Capital: Lilongwe. Pop: 16 777 547 (2013 est). Area: 118 484 sq km (45 747 sq miles) Former name Nyasaland
Republic in southeast Africa, bordered by Tanzania to the north, Mozambique to the east and south, and Zambia to the west. It became independent in 1964.