Malawi

Republic of Malawi

multiparty democracyIndependence 6 July 1964 (from UK)

Malawi as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 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

Position13 30 S, 34 00 E

Area118,480 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, east of Zambia

Populationas each edition published it

9.45 million July 1996 est. · 9.16m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.71% 1996 est. · -0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

36.16 years 1996 est. · 40.48 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.91 children per woman 1996 est. · 7.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

139.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 130 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$700 1995 est. · $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

9.9% 1995 est. · -7.7% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, east of Zambia

15 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

border countries: 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

lowest point:: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
highest point:: Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m

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 populations
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 - Desertification, Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

9,452,844

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.71% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

41.56Death

24.48Net migration

Net migration: note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is apparently complete

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years36.16

35.87 · 36.46

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy56.4%

71.9% · 41.8%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 46% (male 2,189,223; female 2,168,317)
15-64 years:: 51% (male 2,371,518; female 2,472,245)
65 years and over:: 3% (male 107,701; female 143,840) (July 1996 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is apparently complete

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.75 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

139.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 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

21 fields

Legislature, 177 seatsone dot, one seat

UDF 84AFORD 33MCP 55others 5

Name of country

conventional long form:: Republic of Malawi
conventional short form:: Malawi
former:: Nyasaland

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; most recent revision

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 and head of government:: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the UDF, was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage
cabinet:: Cabinet was named by the president

Legislative branch

unicameral

National Assembly

elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5;
note - because of defections and a bi-election of 18 December 1995, the seats in the National

Assembly were held at the end of the year as follows

UDF 87, MCP 55, AFORD 35

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

High Court; Supreme Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

ruling party:: United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI
opposition groups:: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Green MUNLO, secretary general (top party position);
Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA;
Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Eston KAKHOME, president;
Malawi Democratic Party (MDP), Kampelo KALUA, president

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, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI
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

Economy

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least | developed countries.

20 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$700

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

9.9%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 3.5% (1992 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

83.3%

(1995 est.)

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)

GDP composition by sector(1994)

agriculture 31%industry 14%services 55% (1994)

Budget

Revenues

$530 millionExpenditures

$674 million (1993)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $129 million

Installed generating capacity, 190,000 kW

Electricity production

905 million (1993)Electricity consumption per capita

92 (1993)

Economic 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 31% 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. Drought hurt the 1994 economy, with GDP down by 12.4%. Good weather and a strong tobacco crop resulted in an upturn in 1995. In December 1995, donors pledged $332 million in aid for 1996.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6.9 billion (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Exports

$365 million (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities:: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products
partners:: US, South Africa, Germany, Japan (1994)

Imports

$240 million (c.i.f., 1994)

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

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 41 in all

over 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

27,294 (1990 est.)Railways

789

Highways: paved: NA km · unpaved: NA km · Railways: narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge

Railways

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

Highways

total:: 27,294 km (1990 est.)
paved:: NA km
unpaved:: NA km

Waterways

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

Ports

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota

Communications

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

9 fields

Fixed lines

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)

males age 15-49:: 2,106,905
males fit for military service:: 1,076,788 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $10.4 million, NA% of GDP (FY94/95)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Malawi.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malawi/1996.

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