Statistical information Malawi 1993

Malawi in the World
top of pageBackground: Established in 1891 the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. It has had one-party rule ever since.
top of pageLocation: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and Zambia
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 118,480 km²
Land: 94,080 km²
Land boundaries:
total 2,881 km, Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km,
Zambia 837 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to
November)
Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
ElevationNatural resourcesLand useArable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 20%
Forest and woodland: 50%
Other: 5%
Irrigated land: 200 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 9,831,935 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: -0.95% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Malawian(s)
Adjective: Malawian
Ethnic groups:
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni,
Ngonde, Asian, European
Languages: English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Religions: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: -0.95% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 51.1 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 22.87 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -37.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: deforestation
Current issues note: landlocked
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 141.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 40.48 years
Male: 39.61 years
Female: 41.37 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.5 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
Male: 34%
Female: 12%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional short form: Malawi
Former: Nyasaland
Government type: one-party republic; a referendum to determine whether Malawi should remain a one-party state is scheduled to be held on 14 June 1993
Capital: Lilongwe
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 6 July 1964 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as amended January 1974
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 797-1007
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael T. F. PISTOR
From the us embassy: address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 30,016, Lilongwe
From the us telephone: 265 730-166
From the us fax: 265 732-282
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan, which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: -7.7% (1992 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $200 (1992 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops - tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops - potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock - cattle, goats
Industries: agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.), accounts for about 18% of GDP (1988)
Labor force: 428,000 wage earners
By occupation agriculture: 43%
By occupation manufacturing: 16%
By occupation personalservices: 15%
By occupation commerce: 9%
By occupation construction: 7%
By occupation miscellaneousservices: 4%
By occupation otherpermanentlyemployed: 6% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $398 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (FY91 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $400 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products
Partners: US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany
Imports: $660 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 4.3418 (November 1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 190,000 kW capacity; 620 million kWh produced, 65 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirportsUsable: 41
With permanentsurface runways: 5
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 10
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi; Shire River, 144 km
Merchant marinePorts and terminalsMalawi - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international:
dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake
Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs