Which country was formerly known as Nyasaland?

The country formerly known as Nyasaland is Malawi. Nyasaland was the name used for the British protectorate in southeastern Africa before it became independent and adopted the name Malawi in 1964.

The territory was first administered as the British Central Africa Protectorate, formally established in the late 19th century. In 1907, it was renamed Nyasaland, a name connected with Lake Nyasa, now commonly called Lake Malawi. The protectorate later became part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which existed from 1953 to 1963.

Nyasaland became independent on 6 July 1964 and was renamed Malawi at independence. The new name drew on the older Maravi historical tradition associated with the region. Malawi is now a landlocked country bordered by Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique, with Lake Malawi forming much of its eastern landscape.

A common mix-up is treating Nyasaland as a separate modern country. It was a colonial-era name for the territory that became Malawi. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was also a political grouping, not an alternative name for Malawi alone.