Brief History

  The great lake that occupies a fifth of Malawi has always conditioned its existence. Human life has been present around its shores from the very start. Recently humanoid remains dating back millions of years have been found in the north of the country.

People were attracted to the area by its stable climate and regular rainfall as well as by the ample supply of fish in the Lake.

By the sixteenth century a thriving Maravi Empire was occupying most of the present day Malawi as well as a good portion of Zambia and Mozambique. Slowly this empire broke down into an infinite number of little chiefdoms. By the middle of the eighteenth centaury the Portuguese and Arab slave traders assisted by the Yao tribe that had migrated into the region were creating havoc amongst the Chewa population by their inhuman trade. In the early 1840's the Nogni tribe, a breakaway tribe of the Zulu's fleeing Saka's rule apeared in the region, bringing with them their efficient and ferocious war techniques. At about the same time Dr. Livingstone arrived. He first set his eyes on the great lake in September 1859. By 1875 the Scottish Presbyterian Church had founded its first mission at Cape MaClear.

By 1891 they had managed to expel the slave traders and to pacify the warring Yao and Ngoni tribes, both newcomers to the region and to lobby the Imperial Government in London so that a Protectorat was declared over the area. In 1953, Nyasaland, as it was then called was incorporated into the Federation of Central Africa. This was eventually dissolved and on the 6th July 1964 Nyasaland became the independent country of Malawi. From 1966 it has been a Republic within the British Commonwealth.