Malawi

• sub-tropical;
• rainy season (November to May);
• dry season (May to November)

total:

1.36 cu km/yr (11%/4%/86%)

per capita:

99.86 cu m/yr (2005)

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

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

• landlocked;
• Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature;
• it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth

noun:

Malawian(s)

adjective:

Malawian

at birth:

1.02 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and dengue fever

water contact disease:

schistosomiasis

animal contact disease:

rabies (2013)

total number:

993,318

percentage:

26 % (2006 est.)

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

name:

Lilongwe

geographic coordinates:

13 58 S, 33 47 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

• previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966;
• latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995;
• amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)

chief of state:

• President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014);
• Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014)

cabinet:

26-32-member Cabinet named by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019)

election results:

Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA 27.8%, Joyce BANDA 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI 13.7%, other 1.9%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly;
• other judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers;
• judges serve until age 65

subordinate courts:

• High Court;
• magistrate courts;
• Industrial Relations Court;
• district and city traditional or local courts

• Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Godfrey SHAWA]
• Chipani Cha Fuko or CCP [Davis KATSONGA PHIRI]
• Christian Liberation Party or CONU [Sylvester CHABUKA]
• Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]
• Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]
• Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]
• Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]
• National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Loveness GONDWE]
• National Salvation Front or NASAF [James NYONDO]
• Nthanda Congress Party or NCP [Dr. Chakhumbila KHAILA]
• New Labour Party or NLP [Friday JUMBE]
• New Republican Party [Gwanda CHAKUWAMBA]
• People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]
• People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Mark Katsonga PHIRI]
• People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]
• Umodzi Party or UP [John CHISI]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]
• United Independent Party or UIP [Helen SINGH]

• Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development)
• Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights)
• Malawi Economic Justice Network or MEJN (pro economic growth, development, government accountability)
• Malawi Law Society (an umbrella organization of all lawyers in Malawi)
• Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Stephen Dick Tennyson MATENSE (since 10 September 2010)

chancery:

2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 721-0270

FAX:

[1] (202) 721-0288

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON (since 11 September 2011)

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

• three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band;
• black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature;
• the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa

agriculture:

90%

industry and services:

10% (2003 est.)

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

31.9% (2004)

general assessment:

rudimentary; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006

domestic:

• limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas;
• mobile-cellular subscribership about 25 per 100 persons

international:

country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

• radio is the main broadcast medium;
• privately-owned Zodiac radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio;
• about a dozen private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country;
• the largest TV network is government-owned, but two private TV networks now broadcast in urban areas and more plan to begin broadcasting in 2014;
• relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2014)

total:

797 km

country comparison to the world: 99

narrow gauge:

797 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total:

15,450 km

country comparison to the world: 120

paved:

6,951 km

unpaved:

8,499 km (2011)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits;
• initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2014)

males age 16-49:

2,132,909

females age 16-49:

2,043,925 (2010 est.)

male:

183,683

female:

183,028 (2010 est.)

• dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River;
• Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory, while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake;
• the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake