Malawi¹ (population 11.87 million) is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that covers an area of 118,400 square kilometres. Its boundaries border Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. Lake Nyasa, around 580 km long, is the country's most prominent feature. Formerly the British protectorate of Nyasaland, Malawi became independent in 1964. Lilongwe is the capital and the country is divided into 27 districts for administrative purposes. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the country held multiparty elections in 1994.

According to the United Nations human development index (HDI), Malawi is ranked 165/177 countries worldwide (value 0.388)² and 33/45 African countries for which an index is available. This places Malawi in the group of countries with low human development.