Malawi is a country dominated by the tranquil waters of Lake Malawi, bordering the west of the land. Nearly 20% of the land mass is covered by lake Malawi which ranks as the third largest lake in Africa and is the twelfth largest in the world. 'Malawi', incidentally, means 'flaming waters' - an allusion to the reflections of the setting sun on. It is only possible to observe this phenomenum from the Mozambique bank of the lake.) This symbolism also appears on the Malawian flag, which features a red sun.
From the southern tip of this lake flows a river, the Shire River, which runs into Mozambique where it flows into the Zambezi River.. It is the greatest attraction for visitors to this peaceful place, well-known for its friendly people, golden shores and stunning natural scenery. Chichewa is a language of the Bantu language family, spoken in parts of East, Central, and Southern Africa. It is spoken in Malawi where, from 1968 until recently, it has served as the national language. It is also spoken in Mozambique, especially in the provinces of Tete and Niassa, in Zambia (especially in the Eastern Province), as well as in Zimbabwe.

The people who speak Chichewa, known as A-Chewa, trace their origins to a group of people known as the Maravi who migrated from the lower basin of the Congo in Central Africa and eventually settled in the land mass now covered by Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Maravi were the first group of Bantu peoples to move and settle in present day Malawi in the 16th century. Other Bantu groups such as the Tumbuka, Tonga, Yao, Lomwe, and Ngoni moved into Malawi long after the Maravi group had successfully established itself. the Maravi are by lineage the aristocrats of this part of Africa. The label Chewa was, according to some accounts, one they acquired during a sojourn in Zambia before they pressed on and made their way into Malawi. According to Kamuzu Banda, the former President of the Republic of Malawi, the name Chewa derives from the word Cheva which was applied to them as a migrating group and had the meaning of "foreigner".

The mission of spreading Christianity led to the establishment of a number of denominations in Central Africa, including those of the Church of Scotland (locally known as the Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP)), the Church of England (the Anglican Church but which, because of its active program of recruitment of young graduates in British universities for missionary work, was known as the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA)), as well as other denominations. The task of deterring the Arab slave traders and of abolishing slavery placed the Anglican missionaries squarely in the lake regions or Nyanja locations. Among the earliest converts to Christianity were freed slaves. The Nyanja were among the first to receive formal education and became instrumental in the development of a literary tradition by contributing translations of parts of the Bible, hymns and other religious literature. They, thus, contributed to the endowment of the language with the educational prospects and social mobility advantages. The establishment of the Church of Scotland or CCAP headquartes in Blantyre, among the people who lived not far from the banks of the Shire river. Subsequent migration of the people of Mozambique and Malawi to Zambia and Zimbabwe to make their fortune as office clerks, miners, farm-workers, medical workers, etc.was also made easier in the fifties by the introduction of a federal government which brought together the three countries of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, called the British Central African Federation.

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