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 under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA, the country held multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Bakili MULUZI became the first freely elected president of Malawi when he won the presidency in 1994; he won re-election in 1999. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in 2012 and was succeeded by vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party. MUTHARIKA's brother, Peter MUTHARIKA, defeated BANDA in the 2014 election. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.


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Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 118,484 km²
Land: 94,080 km²
Water: 24,404 km²
Rank: 101
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,857 km
Border countries: (3) Mozambique 1498 km; , Tanzania 512 km; , Zambia 847 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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
Mean elevation: 779 m
Elevation extremes: 37 m
Note: lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 59.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 34% (2011 est.)
Other: 6.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 740 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding; droughts; earthquakes

Geography
Note: landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth


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Population
Distribution: population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa:
Rank: 60
Growth rate: 3.31% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 3
Below poverty line: 50.7% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malawian(s)
Adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups: Chewa 35.1%, Lomwe 18.9%, Yao 13.1%, Ngoni 12%, Tumbuka 9.4%, Sena 3.5%, Mang'anja 2.5%, Tonga 1.8%, Nyanja 1%, Nkhonde 0.9%, other 1.8% (2015-16 est.)

Languages: English (official), Chichewa (common), Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chinkhonde, Chingoni, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chilambya

Religions: Protestant 27.2% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 17.7%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 2.6%), Catholic 18.4%, other Christian 41%, Muslim 12.1%, other 0.3%, none 1% (2015-16 est.)

Demographic profile: Malawi has made great improvements in maternal and child health, but has made less progress in reducing its high fertility rate. In both rural and urban areas, very high proportions of mothers are receiving prenatal care and skilled birth assistance, and most children are being vaccinated. Malawi’s fertility rate, however, has only declined slowly, decreasing from more than 7 children per woman in the 1980s to about 5.5 today. Nonetheless, Malawians prefer smaller families than in the past, and women are increasingly using contraceptives to prevent or space pregnancies. Rapid population growth and high population density is putting pressure on Malawi’s land, water, and forest resources. Reduced plot sizes and increasing vulnerability to climate change, further threaten the sustainability of Malawi’s agriculturally based economy and will worsen food shortages. About 80% of the population is employed in agriculture.Historically, Malawians migrated abroad in search of work, primarily to South Africa and present-day Zimbabwe, but international migration became uncommon after the 1970s, and most migration in recent years has been internal. During the colonial period, Malawians regularly migrated to southern Africa as contract farm laborers, miners, and domestic servants. In the decade and a half after independence in 1964, the Malawian Government sought to transform its economy from one dependent on small-scale farms to one based on estate agriculture. The resulting demand for wage labor induced more than 300,000 Malawians to return home between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s. In recent times, internal migration has generally been local, motivated more by marriage than economic reasons.

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.17% (male 4,560,940 /female 4,600,184)
15-24 years: 20.58% (male 2,023,182 /female 2,059,765)
25-54 years: 27.57% (male 2,717,613 /female 2,752,983)
55-64 years: 3% (male 284,187 /female 310,393)
65 years and over: 2.69% (male 234,776 /female 298,537) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 91 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 85.3 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.7 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 17.4 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.6 years
Male: 16.5 years
Female: 16.8 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 223

Population growth rate: 3.31% (2018 est.)
Rank: 3

Birth rate: 40.7 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 8

Death rate: 7.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 100

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 91

Population distribution: population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

Urbanization
Urban population: 16.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.19% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.03 million LILONGWE (capital), 879,000 Blantyre-Limbe (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations; negative effects of climate change (extreme high temperatures, changing precipatation pattens)
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 42.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 48.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 35.5 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 42

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 60.2 years (2018 est.)
Female: 64.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 200

Total fertility rate: 5.43 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 9

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 59.2% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Urban: 4.3% of population
Rural: 10.9% of population
Total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.02 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 52.7% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 60.2% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 59% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 9.6% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 9
People living with hivaids: 1 million (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 10
Deaths: 17,000 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 13

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2016)
Rank: 173

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.7% (2015)
Rank: 56

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 87

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 62.1% (2015 est.)
Male: 69.8% (2015 est.)
Female: 55.2% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years (2011)
Male: 11 years (2011)
Female: 11 years (2011)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional short form: Malawi
Local long form: Dziko la Malawi
Local short form: Malawi
Former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
Etymology: named for the East African Maravi Kingdom of the 16th century; the word maravi means fire flames

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Lilongwe
Geographic coordinates: 13 58 S, 33 47 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1964); note - also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966

Constitution
History: previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles including the sovereignty and territory of the state, fundamental constitutional principles, human rights, voting rights, and the judiciary requires majority approval in a referendum and majority approval by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2017 (2018)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014)
Cabinet: Cabinet named by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held on 21 May 2019)
Election results: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 20-22 May 2014 (next to be held on 21 May 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - DPP 22%, MCP 17.4%, PP 18.5%, UDF 9.6%, other 2.8%, independent 29.7%; seats by party - DPP 51, MCP 48, PP 26, UDF 14, other 2, independent 52

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65
Subordinate courts: High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Enoch CHIHANA]Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016)
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 5 February 2015)
From the us embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 30,016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
From the us telephone: 265 (0) 1,773,166
From the us FAX: 265 (0) 1,770,471

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa

National symbols: lion; national colors: black, red, green

National anthem
Name: Mulungu dalitsa Malawi (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi)
Lyricsmusic: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA: note: adopted 1964

National heritage


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Economy overview: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The country’s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency, macroeconomic instability, poor infrastructure, rampant corruption, high population growth, and poor health and education outcomes that limit labor productivity. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and 80% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports, although Malawi is looking to diversify away from tobacco to other cash crops.The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. Donors halted direct budget support from 2013 to 2016 because of concerns about corruption and fiscal carelessness, but the World Bank resumed budget support in May 2017. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program but recent increases in domestic borrowing mean that debt servicing in 2016 exceeded the levels prior to HIPC debt relief.Heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, with corn being the staple crop, Malawi’s economy was hit hard by the El Nino-driven drought in 2015 and 2016, and now faces threat from the fall armyworm. The drought also slowed economic activity, led to two consecutive years of declining economic growth, and contributed to high inflation rates. Depressed food prices over 2017 led to a significant drop in inflation (from an average of 21.7% in 2016 to 12.3% in 2017), with a similar drop in interest rates.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 145

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 79

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 223

Gross national saving:
Rank: 178

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 84.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 15.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 27.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -43.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 15.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 56% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: tobacco, sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sorghum, pulses, cotton, groundnuts, macadamia nuts, coffee; cattle, goats

Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 150

Labor force: 7 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 66
By occupation agriculture: 76.9%
By occupation industry: 4.1%
By occupation services: 19% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20.4% (2013 est.)
Rank: 187

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50.7% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 37.5% (2010 est.)
Highest 10: 37.5% (2010)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 33

Budget
Revenues: 1.356 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.567 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 144

Taxes and other revenues: 21.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 135

Public debt:
Rank: 75

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 205

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 9

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 3

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 164

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 168

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 165

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 122

Current account balance:
Rank: 122

Exports:
Rank: 150
Partners: Zimbabwe 13.1%, Mozambique 11.8%, Belgium 10.7%, South Africa 6.3%, Netherlands 5%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4.3%, US 4.2% (2017)
Commodities: tobacco (55%), dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)

Imports:
Rank: 161
Commodities: food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa 20.7%, China 14.2%, India 11.6%, UAE 7%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 140

Debt external:
Rank: 152

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $142.5 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 136

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: NA

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 14.9 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 9% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 32% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 4% (2013)
Production: 1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 144
Consumption: 1.321 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 150
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 164
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 170
Installed generating capacity: 375,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 152
Generation sources fossil fuels: 1% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 212
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 135
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 93% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 7
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 100

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 167
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 159
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 159
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 163

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 171
Products consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 171
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 176
Products imports: 4,769 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 173

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 164
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 170
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 145
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 152
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 165

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.082 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 167

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 17,337 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines date: (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 181
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7,772,503 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 100

Telephone system
General assessment: rudimentary; two fixed-line and two mobile-cellular operators govern the market; some mobile services to rural areas; in a resolution to discourage crime the regulatory has imposed SIM card registration since July 2018; 50 licensed ISPs; DSL services are available; LTE services; trial to increase broadband availability (2017)
Domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership less than 1 per 100 households; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile-cellular subscribership approaching 40 per 100 households (2017)
International: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean); recent access to international submarine fibre cable via neighboring countries (2017)

Broadcast media: radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet
Country code: .mw
Users total: 1,785,369 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 9.6% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 117

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 9,220 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 170


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 139

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2014)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,010 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,467
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 7Q (2016)

Airports: 32 (2013)
Rank: 113
With paved runways total: 7 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 25 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 767 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 767 km
Note: 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 99

Roadways
Total: 15,452 km (2015)
Paved: 4,074 km (2015)
Unpaved: 11,378 km (2015)
Rank: 123

Waterways: 700 km
Note: (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010)
Rank: 75

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Lake port: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba (Lake Nyasa)


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Disputes international: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River; Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory, while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake; the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 22,696 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 7,500 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)
IDPs: 8,463 (floods in 2015) (2016)

Illicit drugs