Malawi

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

agricultural land:

59.2%;

• arable land 38.2%;
• permanent crops 1.4%;
• permanent pasture 19.6%

forest:

34%

other:

6.8% (2011 est.)

• flooding;
• droughts;
• earthquakes

• 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:

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.79 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2016 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 (2016)

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

etymology:

named for the East African Maravi Kingdom of the 16th century; the word "maravi" means "fire flames"

name:

Lilongwe

geographic coordinates:

13 58 S, 33 47 E

time difference:

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

history:

previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995

amendments:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles including the sovereignty and territory of the state, fundamental constitutional principles, human rights, voting rights, and the judiciary requires majority approval in a referendum and majority approval by the Assembly;
• passage of other amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly;
• amended several times, last in 2013 (2017)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

7 years

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:

Cabinet named by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-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 (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9%

description:

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 20-22 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - DPP 22.0%, MCP 17.4%, PP 18.5%, UDF 9.6%, other 2.8%, independent 29.7%;
• seats by party - DPP 51, MCP 48, PP 26, UDF 14, other 2, independent 52

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]
• Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]
• Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]
• People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]

• Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, 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, unity)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016)

chancery:

2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 721-0270

FAX:

[1] (202) 721-0288

chief of mission:

Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 5 February 2015)

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

name:

"Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi)

lyrics/music:

Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA

note: adopted 1964

agriculture:

64.1%

industry:

6.7%

services:

29.2% (2013 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

37.5% (2010 est.)

general assessment:

rudimentary; one fixed-line and two mobile-cellular operators govern the market

domestic:

• limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100 households;
• mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas;
• mobile-cellular subscribership approaching 40 per 100 households

international:

country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

• radio is the main broadcast medium;
• privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio;
• numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country;
• the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas;
• relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2017)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

6,010

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

5,467 mt-km (2015)

total:

767 km

narrow gauge:

767 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 98

total:

15,450 km

paved:

6,951 km

unpaved:

8,499 km (2011)

country comparison to the world: 121

• 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)

• 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

refugees (country of origin):

5,444 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2016)

IDPs:

8,463 (floods in 2015) (2016)