Malawi received its independence from the British in 1964 and became a Republic in 1966. Its first president was the late Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda who ruled the country until the advent of multiparty democracy in 1994 when Bakili Muluzi took over. It is currently headed by His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika who was elected on 20th May, 2014. President Mutharika succeeded, Her Excellency Mrs Joyce Banda who took over from the late Bingu Wa Mutharika after the latter died in April 2012. It has a population of about 15 million people with about 80% of the population living in the rural areas. About 52% of the population is composed of females while the youth make up almost 60% of the population.  Malawi is landlocked occupying an area of about 118,484 Km² country with a large body of the freshwater lake (Lake Malawi) making up about 20% of that area. The country shares its borders with Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique on the east, south and west.