Malawi

multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993Independence 6 July 1964 (from UK)

Malawi as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalLilongwe
LocationSouthern Africa, between Mozambique and Zambia
1994

Every edition of Malawi

Populationas each edition published it
9.73 million July 1994 est. · 9.16m in 1990
Population growth% a year
-1.09% 1994 est. · -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
7.43 children per woman 1994 est. · 7.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
141.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 130 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1993 est. · $200 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-8% 1992 est. · -7.7% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and Zambia

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
2,881km
total · Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Irrigated land
200sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and Zambia

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

118,480 sq km

land area

94,080 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

International 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

arable land

25%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

20%

forest and woodland

50%

other

5%

current issues

  • deforestation;
  • land degradation;
  • water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes;
  • siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish population

natural hazards

NA

international agreements

  • party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
  • signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note

landlocked

People

21 fields
Population
9,732,409
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: -1.09% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
50.42Death
23.19Net migration
-38.1
Labor force
428,000wage earners
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1966)

Infant mortality rate

141.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

39.73 years

male

38.93 years

female

40.55 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Malawian(s)

adjective

Malawian

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs

Languages

English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally

total population

22%

male

34%

female

12%

by occupation

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

Government

Multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993

29 fields

Legislature, 177 seatsone dot, one seat

UDF 84AFORD 33MCP 55others 5

conventional long form

Republic of Malawi

conventional short form

Malawi

former

Nyasaland

Type

multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993; formerly a one-party republic

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)

Constitution

6 July 1966; republished as amended January 1974

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the United Democratic Front

cabinet

Cabinet; named by the president

National Assembly

elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held NA); seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5

Judicial branch

High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal

ruling party

United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI

opposition groups

  • Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Gwanda CHAKUAMBA Phiri, secretary general (top party position);
  • Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Chakufwa CHIHANA;
  • Socialist League of Malawi (Lesoma), Kapote MWAKUSULA, secretary general;
  • Malawi Democratic Union (MDU), Harry BWANAUSI;
  • Congress for the Second Republic (CSR), Kanyama CHIUME;
  • Malawi Socialist Labor Party (MSLP), Stanford SAMBANEMANJA

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA

chancery

2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 797-1007

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael T. F. PISTOR

embassy

address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe

mailing address

P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi

telephone

[265] 783-166

FAX

[265] 780-471

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

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.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
-8%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 3.5% (1992 est.); accounts for about 15% of GDP (1992 est.)
External debt
$1.8billion
(December 1991 est.)

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 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government.

Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent $6 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$416 million

expenditures

$498 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exports

$413 million (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities

tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products

partners

US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany

Imports

$737 million (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities

food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

partners

South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe

capacity

190,000 kW

production

620 million kWh

consumption per capita

65 kWh (1992)

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, goats

recipient

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion

Currency

1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala

Exchange rates

Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 4.4598 (November 1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

14 fields

Railroads

789 km 1.067-meter gauge

total

13,135 km

paved

2,364 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 251 km; earth, improved earth 10,520 km

Inland waterways

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

Ports

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

total

47

usable

41

with permanent-surface runways

6

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

1

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

10

Telecommunications

  • fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communications stations;
  • 42,250 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 10 AM, 17 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, Nacala, and Limgogo railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to rail lines

Defense Forces

Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including | paramilitary Mobile Force Unit),

3 fields

Branches

Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including paramilitary Mobile Force Unit),

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,046,413; fit for military service 1,043,674

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Malawi.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malawi/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →