Guide to Malawi Introduction Background: 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, which came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after the previous president failed to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MATHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests but no convictions. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.
Geography Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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
Geography - note: landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
People Population: 12,158,924 note
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.06% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 43.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 23.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 5.98 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 900,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 84,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religions: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)
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)
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: multiparty democracy
Capital: Lilongwe
Administrative divisions: 27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
Constitution: 18 May 1994
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
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections
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 [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP) [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Congress for Democracy or NCD [Hetherwick NTABA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA] - governing party
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band
Government - note: the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature
Economy 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 accounted for nearly 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong 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, the anticorruption campaign championed by President MUTHARIKA may help encourage investment and economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $7.41 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 4.5 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 90% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line: 55% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 10.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 228.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats
Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.088 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 1.012 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 5,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Current account balance: $-55.5 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $503.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel
Exports - partners: South Africa 13.5%, US 12%, Germany 11.6%, Egypt 8.4%, UK 6.6%, Mozambique 4.5% (2004)
Imports: $521.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Imports - partners: South Africa 37.3%, India 8.1%, Mozambique 7.7%, Zimbabwe 7.2%, Tanzania 4.6%, Germany 4.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $160.5 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $3.129 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $540 million (1999)
Currency (code): Malawian kwacha (MWK)
Currency code: MWK
Exchange rates: Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001), 59.544 (2000)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 85,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 135,100 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station held in standby status) (2001)
Radios: 2.6 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .mw
Internet hosts: 18 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2002)
Internet users: 36,000 (2003)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 700 km note
Ports and harbors: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba
Airports: 42 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: Malawi Armed Forces
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $11.1 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (2004)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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