Balaka District (Balaka District)
Balaka is a district in the Southern Region of Malawi. The capital is Balaka. The district covers an area of 2,193 km.² and has a population of over 310,000. The district's population is increasing at a rate of 2.3% per annum. Major attractions in Balaka District include the 1,850Ha estate Toleza Agricultural Enterprises, St. Louis Montfort Catholic Church, the Andiamo Vocational Complex and the Chifundo Artisans' Network.
In this district is the town of Nkaya, an important urban center that serves as the junction point of the country's road-rail systems.
At the time of the 2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of Balaka District by ethnic group was as follows:
* 37.2% Yao
* 25.2% Lomwe
* 24.2% Ngoni
* 5.0% Chewa
* 2.8% Nyanja
* 2.4% Sena
* 2.1% Mang'anja
In this district is the town of Nkaya, an important urban center that serves as the junction point of the country's road-rail systems.
At the time of the 2018 Census of Malawi, the distribution of the population of Balaka District by ethnic group was as follows:
* 37.2% Yao
* 25.2% Lomwe
* 24.2% Ngoni
* 5.0% Chewa
* 2.8% Nyanja
* 2.4% Sena
* 2.1% Mang'anja
Map - Balaka District (Balaka District)
Map
Country - Malawi
Flag of Malawi |
In 1891, the area was colonised by the British and became a protectorate of the United Kingdom known as Nyasaland. In 1953, it became a protectorate within the semi-independent Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The Federation was dissolved in 1963. In 1964, the protectorate was ended: Nyasaland became an independent country under Queen Elizabeth II, and was renamed Malawi. Two years later it became a republic. It gained full independence from the United Kingdom, and by 1970 had become a totalitarian one-party state under the presidency of Hastings Banda, who remained in this role until 1994. Malawi has a democratic, multi-party republic headed by an elected president. Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party led the Tonse Alliance grouping of nine political parties and won the court-mandated Presidential Election rerun held on 23 June 2020 after the May 2019 Presidential Election was annulled due to electoral irregularities. The country's military, the Malawian Defence Force, includes an army, a navy, and an air wing. Malawi's foreign policy is pro-Western. It maintains positive diplomatic relations with most countries, and participates in several international organisations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the African Union (AU).
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
MWK | Malawian kwacha | MK | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
NY | Chichewa language |