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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 118,480 km²
Land: 94,080 km²
Water: 24,400 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: 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: Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 20%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 280 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 9,840,474 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.66% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: 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

Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (male 2,249,108; female 2,228,934)
15-64 years: 52% (male 2,512,768; female 2,584,516)
65 years and over: 2% (male 111,089; female 154,059) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.66% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 40.22 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 23.68 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

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: 0.72 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 133.77 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 36.59 years
Male: 36.64 years
Female: 36.54 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.62 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 56.4%
Male: 71.9%
Female: 41.8% (1995 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional short form: Malawi
Former: Nyasaland

Government type: multiparty democracy

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

Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 July (1964; Republic Day 6 July (1966)

Constitution: 18 May 1995

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: ead of
Government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet named by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
Election results: Bakili MULUZI elected president; percent of vote_NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (177 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5; note_because of defections and byelections, the seats in the National Assembly were held at the end of the year as follows:UDF 84, MCP 47, AFORD 34, independents 8, and vacant 4
Note: the constitution of 18 May 1995, in addition to reducing the age at which universal suffrage is conferred from 21 to 18 years, provided for a bicameral legislature; by 1999, in addition to the existing National Assembly, a Senate of 80 seats is to be elected

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

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, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Amelia Ellen SHIPPY
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 3, Malawi
From the us telephone: [265] 783 166
From the us fax: [265] 780 471

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band

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 45% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The new government faces strong challenges, e.g., to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, and to deal with environmental problems of deforestation and erosion.

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $900 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 45%
Industry: 30%
Services: 25% (1995 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.9% (1995)

Labor force
Total: 3.5 million
By occupation agriculture: 86%
By occupation wageearners: 14% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $530 million
Expenditures: $674 million, including capital expenditures of $129 million (1993)

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Exports: total value:$405 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodoties: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products
Partners: US, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Imports: total value:$475 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodoties: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, US, UK, Germany

Debt external: $2.3 billion (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1_17.5300 (October 1997), 15.3085 (1996), 15.2837 (1995), 8.7364 (1994), 4.4028 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 185,000 kW (1995)
Production: 800 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 82 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 43,000 (1985 est.)

Telephone system
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)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $10.4 million (FY94/95)
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 45 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 39
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24 (1997 est.)

Railways
Total: 789 km
Narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi; Shire River, 144 km

Disputes international: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)