| Background: |
Established in
1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the
independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of
one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in
1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full
effect the following year. National multiparty elections
were held again in 1999. |
| Location: |
Southern Africa,
east of Zambia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
13 30 S, 34 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
118,480 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Pennsylvania |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania
475 km, Zambia 837 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
sub-tropical;
rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
| Terrain: |
narrow elongated
plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
junction of the Shire River and international boundary with
Mozambique 37 m
highest point: Sapitwa 3,002 m |
| Natural
resources: |
limestone, arable
land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and
bauxite |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
34%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 7% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
280 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff,
sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds
endangers fish populations |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
10,548,250
note: estimates for this country explicitly
take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
44.43% (male 2,348,940; female 2,337,290)
15-64 years: 52.78% (male 2,741,622; female
2,825,966)
65 years and over: 2.79% (male 119,283; female
175,149) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.5% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.8 births/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
22.81
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
121.12
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 37.08 years
male: 36.61 years
female: 37.55 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.18 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
15.96% (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
800,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
70,000 (1999
est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Malawian(s)
adjective: Malawian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Chewa, Nyanja,
Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian,
European |
| Religions: |
Protestant 55%,
Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs |
| Languages: |
English
(official), Chichewa (official), other languages important
regionally |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58%
male: 72.8%
female: 43.4% (1999 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Malawi
conventional short form: Malawi
former: British Central African Protectorate,
Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland |
| Government
type: |
multiparty
democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
24 districts;
Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa,
Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi,
Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay,
Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba;
note - there may be three new districts named Balaka, Likoma,
and Phalombe |
| Independence: |
6 July 1964 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
6 July (1964) |
| Constitution: |
18 May 1994 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English
common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May
1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Bakili MULUZI
(since 21 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
cabinet: 36-member Cabinet named by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 15 June 1999 (next
to be held NA 2004)
election results: Bakili MULUZI reelected
president; percent of vote - Bakili MULUZI (UDF) 51.4%,
Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MCP-AFORD) 44.3% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 June 1999 (next to be
held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party -
UDF 48%, MCP 34%, AFORD 15%, others 3%; seats by party - UDF
94, MCP 66, AFORD 29, others 4 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court of
Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the
president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the
Judicial Service Commission); magistrate's courts |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance for
Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA, president]; Malawi
Congress Party or MCP [Gwanda CHAKUAMBA, president, John
TEMBO, vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo
KALUA, president]; National Independence Party; Social
Democratic Party or SDP [Eston KAKHOME, president]; United
Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI] - governing party |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Paul Tony Steven KANDIERO
chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Roger A. MEECE
embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road
mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3,
Malawi
telephone: [265] 773 166
FAX: [265] 770 471 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a
radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band |
| Government
- note: |
the executive
exerts considerable influence over the legislature |
| Economy
- overview: |
Landlocked Malawi
ranks among the world's least developed countries. The
economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the
population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for
37% of GDP and 85% of export revenues. The economy depends
on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF,
the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000,
Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted
Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong
challenges, e.g., to fully develop a market economy, to
improve educational facilities, to face up to environmental
problems, and to deal with the rapidly growing problem of
HIV/AIDS. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $9.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $900 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
37%
industry: 29%
services: 34% (1998 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
54% (FY90/91
est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
29.5% (2000) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 86%
(1997 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$490 million
expenditures: $523 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.) |
| Industries: |
tobacco, tea,
sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
1.025 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
2.44%
hydro: 97.56%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
950 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
3 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
tobacco,
sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca),
sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats |
| Exports: |
$416 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
tobacco, tea,
sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products |
| Exports
- partners: |
South Africa 16%,
Germany 16%, US 15%, Netherlands 7%, Japan (1999) |
| Imports: |
$435 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food, petroleum
products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation
equipment |
| Imports
- partners: |
South Africa 43%,
Zimbabwe 14%, UK 5%, Germany 5%, Zambia, Japan, US (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.9 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$427 million
(1999) |
| Currency: |
Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Malawian kwachas
per US dollar - 80.0946 (December 2000), 59.5438 (2000),
44.0881 (1999), 31.0727 (1998), 16.4442 (1997), 15.3085
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
37,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
7,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: fair system of open-wire lines,
microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
communications stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 9, FM 4 (plus
15 repeater stations), shortwave 3 (1998) |
| Radios: |
2.6 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1999) |
| Internet
country code: |
.mw |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
8 (2001) |
| Internet
users: |
10,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
789 km
narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total:
16,451 km
paved: 3,126 km
unpaved: 13,325 km (1997) |
| Waterways: |
144 km
note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire
Riverall |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Chipoka, Monkey
Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
6
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 23 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army (includes
Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes
paramilitary Mobile Force Unit) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,466,708 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,265,893 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$9.5 million
(FY00/01) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.76% (FY00/01) |
| Disputes
- international: |
dispute with
Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) |
|
