Malawi

one-party stateIndependence 6 July 1964 (from UK

Malawi as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLilongwe

Area118,480 km2

Populationas each edition published it

9.16 million July 1990 · 21.76m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition -0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 40.48 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.7 children per woman 1990 · 3.33 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

130 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 28.9 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -7.7% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 118,480 km2

arable land 25%meadows and pastures 20%forest and woodland 50%other 5%NEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

118,480km2

land area: 94,080 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries

2,881km total

Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Disputes

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

Climate

tropical;
rainy season (November to May);
dry season (May to November)

Terrain

narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Natural resources

limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

People

15 fields

Population

9,157,528

(July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

52Death

Religion

Protestant 55%Roman Catholic 20%Muslim 20%traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced

Labor force

428,000wage earners

43% agriculture, 16% manufacturing, 15% personal services, 9% commerce, 7% construction, 4% miscellaneous services, 6% other permanently employed (1986)

Literacy

41.2%

Ethnic divisions

Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Language

English and Chichewa (official); other languages important regionally

Organized labor

small minority of wage earners are unionized

Note

there are 800,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1989 est.)

Government

One-party state

17 fields

National Assembly, 133 seats, elected 27-28 May 1987one dot, one seat

(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133

24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Kasupe, Lilongwe, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

Independence

6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly Nyasaland)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1964)

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly

Judicial branch

High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA (since 6 July 1966; sworn in as President for Life 6 July 1971)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Maxwell Pashane, administrative secretary;
John Tembo, treasurer general;
top party position of secretary general vacant since 1983

Suffrage

universal at age 21 President--President Banda sworn in as President for Life on 6 July 1971;
National Assembly--last held 27-28 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992);
results--MCP is the only party;
seats--(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133

Communists

no Communist party

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, EC (associated member), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA;
Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 797-1007;
US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III;
Embassy in new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe);
telephone 730-166

Flag

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

Economy

A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $180.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.4billion

per capita $180; growth rate 3.6% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

31.5%

(1988)

External debt

$1.4billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$246 millionExpenditures

$390 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY88 est.)

Overview

A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $180. The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise environment, 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 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$292 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts;
partners--US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG

Imports

$402 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment;
partners--South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe

Industrial production

growth rate 6.4% (1988)

Electricity

181,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods

Agriculture

accounts for 40% of GDP;
cash crops--tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn;
subsistence crops--potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses;
livestock--cattle and goats

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $182 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.8 billion

Currency

Malawian kwacha (plural--kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala

Exchange rates

Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1--2.6793 (January 1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987), 1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 48 total, 47 usable

permanent-surface runways

6runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

13,135Railroads

789

Highways: ; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth

Highways

13,135 km total;
2,364 km paved;
251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil;
10,520 km earth and improved earth

Inland waterways

Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km

Ports

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota--all on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations;
36,800 telephones;
stations--8 AM, 4 FM, no TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Note

a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to rail lines