Districts, Cities, Trading Centers & Villages While the nation of Malawi is primarily a rural culture with most of the population living in rural areas, although a famine in 2001 and 2002, and persistent high levels of unemployment have created higher levels of migration to the cities. Malawi is divided into three regions, and 27 districts. Each region has its own capital, though these are much smaller than capital cities in most other nations. In many cases a trading center of 5,000 or 6,000 people will serve as a district capital. Throughout the countryside are small villages of mud-thatch design. Running water, electricity, and telephone communication exists primarily along the main tarmac highways, as well as in the cities and trading centers. There are few of these resources in the tiny village areas where most of the population lives. The capital is located in Lilongwe in the central part of the country. It contains the national government offices and most embassies and world organizations that operate in Malawi. The southern city of Blantyre serves as the banking and commercial center. During the colonial period Lilongwe served as a quiet, sleepy, African trading center. For many years after the colonial period Blantyre remained the largest city in the country, because of the British influence. In recent years Lilongwe has overtaken its southern neighbor and is now the largest city in the country. Malawi is governed by a federal system patterned after England and America. In addition to a western style federal system, there is also a functioning tribal authority. These two governing entities work well together with the federal system dealing with matters that have ramifications nation-wide. The tribal system deals with the immediate “village” matters and problems that arise in rural areas across the nation.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:21:02 +0000
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