Malawi

Republic of Malawi

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

Malawi as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, east of Zambia

Populationas each edition published it

9.81 million July 1995 est. · 9.16m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.63% 1995 est. · -0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

39.01 years 1995 est. · 40.48 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.36 children per woman 1995 est. · 7.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

140.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 130 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$750 1994 est. · $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

9.3% 1994 est. · -7.7% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, east of Zambia

14 fields

Land useshare of 118,480 sq km

arable land 25%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 20%forest and woodland 50%other 5%irrigated 200 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

118,480sq km

land area: 94,080 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

2,881km

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

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

Environment

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

People

15 fields

Population

9,808,384

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.63% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

49.81Death

23.53

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years39.01

38.28 · 39.76

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy48%

65% · 34%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1987)

Labor force

428,000wage earners

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 48% (female 2,361,309; male 2,384,679)
15-64 years:: 49% (female 2,479,108; male 2,335,729)
65 years and over:: 3% (female 139,632; male 107,927) (July 1995 est.)

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is much reduced compared with 1994

Infant mortality rate

140.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

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

Government

Multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993

20 fields

Legislature, 177 seatsone dot, one seat

UDF 84AFORD 33MCP 55others 5

Names

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

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

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

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

National Assembly

elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held 1999);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5

Judicial branch

High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Patrick NYASULU (since 14 October 1994)
chancery:: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 797-1007

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Peter R. CHAVEAS
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.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$750

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

9.3%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 3.5% accounts for about 15% of GDP (1992 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

30%

(1994 est.)

External debt

$1.8billion

(December 1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$416 millionExpenditures

$498 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 190,000 kW

Electricity production

820 millionElectricity consumption per capita

77 (1993)

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, but the lost ground was recovered in 1993. 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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$311 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products
partners:: US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany

Imports

$308 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities:: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
partners:: South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe

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

Economic aid

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 - 7.8358 (August 1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 47 in all

over 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

13,135Railroads

789

Highways: paved: 2,364 km · unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 251 km; earth, improved earth 10,520 km · Railroads: narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge

Railroads

total:: 789 km
narrow gauge:: 789 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways

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, Nkotakota

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

42,250 telephones

local:: NA
intercity:: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communications stations
international:: 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean ) earth stations

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
radios:: NA

Television

broadcast stations:: 0
televisions:: NA

Defense Forces

Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police | (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary Malawi Young | Pioneers