Malawi

Republic of Malawi

multiparty democracyIndependence 6 July 1964 (from UK)

Malawi as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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

10 million July 1999 est. · 9.16m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.57% 1999 est. · -0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

36.3 years 1999 est. · 40.48 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.48 children per woman 1999 est. · 7.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

132.14 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 130 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$940 1998 est. · $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.2% 1998 est. · -7.7% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, east of Zambia

18 fields

Land useshare of 118,480 sq km

arable land 18%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 39%other 23% (1993 est.)irrigated 280 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

118,480sq km

land: 94,080 sq kmwater: 24,400 sq kmslightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

3,002m

Sapitwalowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m

Land boundaries

2,881km

border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

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 populations

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

10,000,416

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.57% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

39.54Death

23.84Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)36.3

36.49 · 36.11

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)56.4%

71.9% · 41.8%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Age structure

0-14 years:: 45% (male 2,265,526; female 2,246,135)
15-64 years:: 52% (male 2,580,125; female 2,637,464)
65 years and over:: 3% (male 112,813; female 158,353) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

132.14 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Malawian(s)
adjective:: Malawian

Ethnic groups

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; President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994)

17 fields

National Assembly, 177 seats, elected 17 May 1994one dot, one seat

-UDF 84AFORD 33MCP 55others 5

Country name

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

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:: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:: Cabinet named by the president
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
election results:: Bakili MULUZI elected president; percent of vote--NA

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (177 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
election results:: percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5;
note--because of defections and byelections, the distribution of seats in the National Assembly had
changed at the end of the 1996 as follows:: UDF 84, MCP 47, AFORD 34, independents 8, and vacant 4

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

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

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, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI
chancery:: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Amelia Ellen SHIPPY
embassy:: address NA, in new development area in Lilongwe
mailing address:: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi

Flag description

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.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$940

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

3.2%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 0.9% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

83.4%

(1995)

Population below poverty line

54%

(1990-91 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 45%industry 30%services 25% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$530 millionExpenditures

$674 million (1993)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $129 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 2.5%hydro 97.5%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

800 million (1996)Electricity consumption

800 million (1996)

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 accounts for 45% 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.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$8.9 billion (1998 est.)

Labor force

3.5 million

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 86%, wage earners 14% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$405 million (f.o.b., 1995)

Exports--commodities

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

Exports--partners

US, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Imports

$475 million (f.o.b., 1995)

Imports--commodities

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

Imports--partners

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, US, UK, Germany

Debt--external

$2.3 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$416.5 million (1995)

Currency

1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala

Exchange rates

Malawian kwachas (MK) per US$1--43.5426 (January 1999), 31.0727 (1998), 16.4442 (1997), 15.3085 (1996), 15.2837 (1995), 8.7364 (1994)

Fiscal year

1 April--31 March

Communications

6 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)