Malawi
 

21 Sep 1889 - 23 Feb 1893                        23 Feb 1893 - 11 May 1914                        11 May 1914 - 12 Dec 1919                         12 Dec 1919 -  6 Sep 1953;                      31 Dec 1953 -  6 Jul 1964                        7 Sep 1953 - 31 Dec 1963               Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland                 6 Jul 1964 - 7 Aug 2010                  7 Aug 2010 - 28 May 2012                Re-adopted 28 May 2012 Map of Malawi Hear National Anthem "Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi) Text of National Anthem Adopted Feb 1964 Constitution  (18 May 1994) Capital: Lilongwe (Zomba 1889-1 Jan 1975) Currency: Malawian Kwacha  (MWK); Malawi Pound (MWP) 1964-1971  National Holiday: 6 Jul (1964) Independence Day (Republic Day) Population: 13,931,831 (2008) GDP: $11.56 billion (2008) Exports: $679 million (2008) Imports: $1.02 billion (2008) Ethnic groups: Chewa 34.7%, Maravi 12.2%, Ngoni  9%, Tumbuka 7.9%, Yao 7.9%, Lomwe 7.7%, Ngonde 3.5%,  Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Asian, European and  other 17.1% (2000) Total Active Armed Forces: 5,300 (2006) Merchant marine: None (2008) Religions: Christian 63.2% (Protestant 38.5%, Roman Catholic  24.7%), Muslim 14.8%, traditional beliefs 7.8%,  other 14.2% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, APM, AU, BTWC, C, CCM, COMESA, CTBT, CWC, ENMOD, ESCR, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISA, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Malawi Index Chronology 21 Sep 1889                Shiré River Protectorate declared by Britain. 15 May 1891                Nyasaland Districts Protectorate 23 Feb 1893                British Central Africa Protectorate                               (administered by British South Africa Company).  6 Jul 1907                Nyasaland Protectorate  1 Aug 1953 - 31 Dec 1963  Part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland                              (see Zimbabwe).  9 May 1963                Nyasaland (self-rule).  6 Jul 1964                Independence from U.K. (Malawi).  6 Jul 1966                Republic of Malawi Traditional States Historical Maps of Malawi

Commissioners
21 Sep 1889 - 16 Apr 1896  Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston        (b. 1858 - d. 1927)
16 Apr 1896 -  1 Apr 1907  Alfred Sharpe                      (b. 1853 - d. 1935)
                             (from 26 Jun 1903, Sir Alfred Sharpe)  
 1 Apr 1907 - Sep 1907     Francis Barrow Pearce (acting)     (b. 1866 - d. 1926)
Governors
Oct 1907 -  1 May 1908     Sir William Henry Manning          (b. 1863 - d. 1932)
                             (1st time) (acting)
 1 May 1908 -  1 Apr 1910  Sir Alfred Sharpe                  (s.a.)
 1 Apr 1910 -  4 Jul 1910  Francis Barrow Pearce (acting)     (s.a.)
 4 Jul 1910 -  6 Feb 1911  Henry Richard Wallis (acting)      (b. 1866 - d. 1946)
 6 Feb 1911 - 23 Sep 1913  Sir William Henry Manning          (s.a.)
                             (2nd time) (acting) 
23 Sep 1913 - 12 Apr 1923  George Smith                       (b. 1858 - d. 1938) 
                             (from 1914, Sir George Smith)
12 Apr 1923 - 27 Mar 1924  Richard Sims Donkin Rankine        (b. 1875 - d. 1961) 
                             (acting)
27 Mar 1924 - 30 May 1929  Sir Charles Calvert Bowring        (b. 1872 - d. 1945)
30 May 1929 -  7 Nov 1929  Wilfred Bennett Davidson-Houston   (b. 1870 - d. 1960)
                             (acting) 
 7 Nov 1929 - 22 Nov 1932  Shenton Whitelegge Thomas          (b. 1879 - d. 1962)
                             (from 1 Jan 1931, Sir Shenton Whitelegge Thomas) 
22 Nov 1932 -  9 Apr 1934  Sir Hubert Winthrop Young          (b. 1885 - d. 1950)
 9 Apr 1934 - 21 Sep 1934  Kenneth Lambert Hall (acting)      (b. 1887 - d. 1979)
21 Sep 1934 - 20 Mar 1939  Sir Harold Baxter Kittermaster     (b. 1879 - d. 1939)
20 Mar 1939 -  8 Aug 1942  Sir Henry Charles Donald Cleveland (b. 1889 - d. 1965)
                             Mackenzie-Kennedy 
 8 Aug 1942 - 27 Mar 1947  Sir Edmund Charles Smith Richards  (b. 1889 - d. 1955)
30 Mar 1948 - 10 Apr 1956  Geoffrey Francis Taylor Colby      (b. 1901 - d. 1958)
                             (from 3 Jun 1949, Sir Geoffrey Francis Taylor Colby)
10 Apr 1956 - 10 Apr 1961  Sir Robert Perceval Armitage       (b. 1906 - d. 1990)
10 Apr 1961 -  6 Jul 1964  Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones           (b. 1908 - d. 1992)
Queen¹
 6 Jul 1964 -  6 Jul 1966  the Queen of the United Kingdom
Governor-general (representing the British monarch as head of state)
 6 Jul 1964 -  6 Jul 1966  Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones           (s.a.)
Presidents
 6 Jul 1966 - 21 May 1994  Hastings Kamuzu Banda              (b. 1898? - d. 1997) MCP
21 May 1994 - 24 May 2004  Elson Bakili Muluzi                (b. 1942)            UDF
24 May 2004 -  5 Apr 2012  Bingu wa Mutharika                 (b. 1934)           UDF;2005 DDP
 5 Apr 2012 -  7 Apr 2012  Vacant
 7 Apr 2012 -              Joyce Hilda Banda (f)              (b. 1950)            PP

Prime minister
 1 Feb 1963 -  6 Jul 1966  Hastings Kamuzu Banda              (s.a.)               MCP
 6 Jul 1966                Post abolished 

  ¹Full style:
(a) 6 Jul 1964 - 1964: "By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith";
(b) 1964 - 6 Jul 1966: "By the Grace of God Queen of Malawi and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

Territorial Disputes: Disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant. 

Party abbreviations: DDP = Democratic Progressive Party (est.2005 by Mutharika, split from USF); MCP = Malawi Congress Party (nationalist, authoritarian, only legal party 1966-1993); PP = People's Party (split from DDP, est.2011); UDF = United Democratic Front (liberal)