Map of Malawi | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Southern Africa east of Zambia

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S 34 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 118,480 km²
Water: 24,400 km²
Land: 94,080 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,881 km
Border countries: (3) 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
Extremes highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

Natural resources: limestone arable land: hydropower unexploited deposits of uranium coal and bauxite

Land use
Arable land: 19.93%
Permanent crops: 1.33%
Other: 78.74% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 280 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; Lake Nyasa some 580 km long is the country's most prominent physical feature


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Population
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 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 2.21% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 54% (FY 90/91 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malawian
Adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups: Chewa Nyanja Tumbuka 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% indigenous beliefs 3% other 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.8% (male 2,748,058; female 2,698,052)
15-64 years: 50.5% (male 2,911,892; female 2,973,723)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 128,722; female 190,792) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.4 years
Male: 16.1 years
Female: 16.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 44.7 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 22.64 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff sewage industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 105.15 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 100.81 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 109.36 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 37.98 years
Male: 37.57 years
Female: 38.39 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 15% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 850,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 80,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 62.7%
Male: 76.1%
Female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional short form: Malawi
Former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital: Lilongwe

Administrative divisions: 27 districts; Balaka Blantyre Chikwawa Chiradzulu Chitipa Dedza Dowa Karonga Kasungu Likoma Lilongwe Machinga (Kasupe) Mangochi Mchinji Mulanje Mwanza Mzimba Ntcheu Nkhata Bay Nkhotakota Nsanje Ntchisi Phalombe Rumphi Salima Thyolo Zomba

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (Republic 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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: 46-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
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 96, MCP 61, AFORD 30, others 6

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]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO president; Gwanda CHAKUAMBA vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI] - governing party

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C ECA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU MONUC NAM OAU OPCW SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIK UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Tony Steven KANDIERO
In the us fax: [1] (202) 265-0976
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen BROWN
From the us embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 30,016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
From the us telephone: [265] (1) 773 166
From the us fax: [265] (1) 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 accounted for nearly 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001. 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. In November 2002 the World Bank approved a $50 million drought recovery package which is to be used for famine relief. The government faces strong challenges e.g. to fully develop a market economy to improve educational facilities to face up to environmental problems to deal with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS and to satisfy foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 37%
Industry: 16%
Services: 47% (2001 est.)

Agriculture products: tobacco sugarcane cotton tea corn potatoes cassava (tapioca) sorghum pulses; groundnuts Macadamia nuts; cattle goats

Industries: tobacco tea sugar sawmill products cement consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate: -0.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 4.5 million (2001 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 86% (1997 est.)