Malawi
Republic of MalawiDziko la Malawi
multiparty democracyIndependence 6 July 1964 (from the UK)
Malawi as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005.
As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen substantial economic improvement but because of political deadlock in the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant legislation, and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Geography
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 118,484 sq km
Natural resources
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 1.01 cu km/yr (15%/5%/80%)
- per capita:
- 78 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Religions(1998 census)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.74 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria and plague
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies (2009)
Languages
Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Government
Multiparty democracy; President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 193 seats, elected 19 May 2009one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Malawi
- conventional short form:
- Malawi
- local long form:
- Dziko la Malawi
- local short form:
- Malawi
- former:
- British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
Capital
- name:
- Lilongwe
- geographic coordinates:
- 13 59 S, 33 47 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Legal system
- based on English common law and customary law;
- judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal;
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004)
- cabinet:
- 46-member Cabinet named by the president
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
- election results:
- Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 66%, John TEMBO 30.7%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 114, MCP 26, UDF 17, independents 32, other 4
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
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Dindi NYASULU];
- Congress of Democrats or CODE [Ralph KASAMBARA];
- Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA];
- Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO];
- Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA];
- Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA];
- Maravi People's Party [Uladi MUSSA];
- National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME];
- New Rainbow Coalition Party [Beatrice MWALE];
- New Republican Party [Gwanda CHAKUWAMBA];
- People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA];
- People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO];
- Republican Party or RP [Stanley MASAULI];
- United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI];
- United Democratic Party [Kenedy KALAMBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group);
- Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development);
- Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights);
- Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform);
- Malawi Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy);
- Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Hawa NDILOWE
- chancery:
- 1029 Vermont Avenue, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 721-0270
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 721-0288
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Peter W. BODDE
- embassy:
- 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
- telephone:
- [265] (1) 773 166
- FAX:
- [265] (1) 770 471
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 most densely populated and least developed countries.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports.
The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Malawi will now begin a consultative process to develop a five-year program before funding can begin.
In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened.
In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well.
Central bank discount rate
15% (31 December 2008) · 15% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 15
Commercial bank prime lending rate
25.28% (31 December 2008) · 27.72% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 9
Agriculture - products
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats
Current account balance
-$241 million (2008 est.) · -$75 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Imports - commodities
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$185 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $217.2 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Debt - external
$1.005 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $894 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$11.23 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Exchange rates
Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - 142.41 (2008 est.), 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- rudimentary
- domestic:
- fixed-line subscribership about 2 per 100 persons;
- privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006;
- mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas;
- mobile cellular subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Waterways
700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2008) country comparison to the world: 76
Military
Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service (2007)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Malawi.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malawi/2009.