Nyanja

people

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July 1, 2026

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The Nyanja are a Bantu-speaking people primarily residing around Lake Nyasa, the Shire River, and Lake Shirwa. They are also known as the Chewa, and their language, Chinyanja, is also called Chewa or Chichewa and is significant in Malawi. The Nyanja people are agriculturalists, cultivating crops like corn and sorghum, and also engage in hunting and fishing. Their society is matrilineal, with descent, inheritance, and succession following the female line. They traditionally live in villages, often fortified, led by a hereditary headman and advised by elders.12

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Zambia
Ethnic and linguistic composition
The Nyanja (also known as Chewa) and Tonga language groups are also important, together accounting for more than one-fifth of the population. Nyanja languages are spoken in the Eastern and Central provinces, while Tonga languages are spoken mainly in the Southern and Western provinces.
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The Nyanja (also known as Chewa) and Tonga language groups are also important, together accounting for more than one-fifth of the population. Nyanja languages are spoken in the Eastern and Central provinces, while Tonga languages are spoken mainly in the Southern and Western provinces.
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Maravi Confederacy
The Chewa and Nyanja peoples of modern Malaŵi are descendants of the original Maravi clans.
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The Chewa and Nyanja peoples of modern Malaŵi are descendants of the original Maravi clans.
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Maravi
…Chewa (or Cewa) and the Nyanja. Their economy is based mainly on agriculture, corn (maize) being the staple crop. Hunting, fishing, and trading are also important economically. The Maravi are thought to be of Congo origin, and, like other groups from that region, such as the Bemba, they are divided…
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…Chewa (or Cewa) and the Nyanja. Their economy is based mainly on agriculture, corn (maize) being the staple crop. Hunting, fishing, and trading are also important economically. The Maravi are thought to be of Congo origin, and, like other groups from that region, such as the Bemba, they are divided…
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Malawi
Ethnic groups and languages
Nyanja, Lomwe, Yao, Tumbuka, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, and the Lambya/Nyiha. All the African languages spoken are
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Nyanja, Lomwe, Yao, Tumbuka, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, and the Lambya/Nyiha. All the African languages spoken are
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