The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country located in southeast Africa. Malawi is also known by other synonyms such as Nyasaland, which was the country's former name during colonial times. Malawi is sometimes referred to as "The Warm Heart of Africa" due to its friendly people and pleasant climate. The country is also commonly called "The Land of the Lake" because it's one of the few African countries with a large freshwater lake, Lake Malawi. Malawi's official language is English, and it's sometimes called "The Republic of Malavi" due to transliteration from other languages. Additionally, Malawi is sometimes referred to as "The African Switzerland" due to its high altitudes and mountainous terrain.