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 elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution which came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor who still leads their shared political party. MUTHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and one prominent conviction. Increasing corruption population growth increasing pressure on agricultural lands and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

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: 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: 20.68%
Permanent crops: 1.18%
Other: 78.14% (2005)

Irrigated land: 560 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: NA

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

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 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.38% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 55% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malawian
Adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups: Chewa Nyanja Tumbuka Yao Lomwe Sena Tonga Ngoni Ngonde Asian European

Languages: Chichewa 57.2% (official) Chinyanja 12.8% Chiyao 10.1% Chitumbuka 9.5% Chisena 2.7% Chilomwe 2.4% Chitonga 1.7% other 3.6% (1998 census)

Religions: Christian 79.9% Muslim 12.8% other 3% none 4.3% (1998 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.5% (male 3,056,522/female 3,000,493)
15-64 years: 50.8% (male 3,277,573/female 3,332,907)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 139,953/female 206,478) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.5 years
Male: 16.2 years
Female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.38% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 43.13 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 19.33 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 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, 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

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: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 94.37 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 98.66 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 89.96 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 41.7 years
Male: 41.93 years
Female: 41.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 900,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 84,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

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

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

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital
Name: Lilongwe
Geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 44 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
Election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 2.5%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1

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]; Congress for National Unity or CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE MDP MGODE NUP PETRA PPM RP); Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA MONUC NAM ONUB OPCW SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNMIS UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE
In the us chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
In the us fax: [1] (202) 721-0288
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR
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

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 36% of GDP and 80% of export revenues in 2005. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 60% of exports. 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 including developing a market economy improving educational facilities facing up to environmental problems dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005 President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Malawi's recent fiscal policy performance has been very strong but a serious drought in 2005 and 2006 will heighten pressure on the government to increase spending.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $7.364 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.9% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $600 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34.2%
Industry: 15.8%
Services: 49.9% (2005 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: 7.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 4.5 million (2001 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 55% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.3 (1997)

Budget
Revenues: $844.6 million
Expenditures: $913.9 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2005 est.)

Public debt: 195.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 15.4% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-218 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $364 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: tobacco 60% tea sugar cotton coffee peanuts wood products apparel
Partners: US 18% South Africa 12.2% Egypt 7.6% Germany 7% Netherlands 6.9% Japan 4.8% Russia 4.6% UK 4.2% Mozambique 4% (2005)

Imports: $645 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: food petroleum products semimanufactures consumer goods transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa 37.9% Zambia 8.7% Mozambique 7.8% Zimbabwe 7.3% India 6.4% Tanzania 4.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $151 million (2005 est.)

Debt external: $3.287 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2005) 108.898 (2004) 97.433 (2003) 76.687 (2002) 72.197 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 1.296 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 1.206 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 102,700 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 429,300 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA