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MALAWI
OFFICIAL NAME
Republic of Malawi
CAPITAL CITY
Lilongwe, population 230,000
Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Geographic coordinates:
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
118,480 sq km
land area:
94,080 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total:
2,881 km
border countries:
Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
International disputes:
dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain:
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
lowest point:
junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
highest point:
Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m
Natural resources:
limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use:
arable land:
25%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
20%
forest and woodland:
50%
other:
5%
Irrigated land:
200 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic note:
landlocked
People
Population:
9,452,844 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
46% (male 2,189,223; female 2,168,317)
15-64 years:
51% (male 2,371,518; female 2,472,245)
65 years and over:
3% (male 107,701; female 143,840) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.71% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
41.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
24.48 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note:
the return of refugees to Mozambique is apparently complete
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.75 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
139.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
36.16 years
male:
35.87 years
female:
36.46 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.91 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Malawian(s)
adjective:
Malawian
Ethnic divisions:
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
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
56.4%
male:
71.9%
female:
41.8%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Malawi
conventional short form:
Malawi
former:
Nyasaland
Data code:
MI
Type of government:
multiparty democracy
Capital:
Lilongwe
Administrative divisions:
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; most recent revision
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 and head of government:
President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the UDF, was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage
cabinet:
Cabinet was named by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly:
elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5; note - because of defections and a bi-election of 18 December 1995, the seats in the National Assembly were held at the end of the year as follows: UDF 87, MCP 55, AFORD 35
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:
High Court; Supreme Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI
opposition groups:
Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Green MUNLO, secretary general (top party position); Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA; Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Eston KAKHOME, president; Malawi Democratic Party (MDP), Kampelo KALUA, president
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, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Willie CHOKANI
chancery:
2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-1007
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Peter R. CHAVEAS
embassy:
address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe
mailing address:
P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
telephone:
[265] 783 166
FAX:
[265] 780 471
Economy
Economic 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 31% 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. Drought hurt the 1994 economy, with GDP down by 12.4%. Good weather and a strong tobacco crop resulted in an upturn in 1995. In December 1995, donors pledged $332 million in aid for 1996.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $6.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
9.9% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$700 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
31%
industry:
14%
services:
55% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
83.3% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
428,000 wage earners
by occupation:
agriculture 43%, manufacturing 16%, personal services 15%, commerce 9%, construction 7%, miscellaneous services 4%, other permanently employed 6% (1986)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$530 million
expenditures:
$674 million, including capital expenditures of $129 million (1993)
Industries:
tea, tobacco, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
190,000 kW
production:
905 million kWh (1993)
consumption per capita:
92 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats
Exports:
$365 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products
partners:
US, South Africa, Germany, Japan (1994)
Imports:
$240 million (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities:
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
partners:
South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
External debt:
$1.95 billion (December 1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient:
in December 1995, donors pledged for 1996, $332 million
Currency:
1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Exchange rates:
Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 16.3516 (November 1995), 8.7364 (1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Transportation
Railways:
total:
789 km
narrow gauge:
789 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total:
27,294 km (1990 est.)
paved:
NA km
unpaved:
NA km
Waterways:
Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports:
Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota
Airports:
total:
41
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
1
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
4
with paved runways under 914 m:
20
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
14 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios:
1.011 million (1995)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (1987 est.)
Televisions:
NA
Defense
Branches:
Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49:
2,106,905
males fit for military service:
1,076,788 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $10.4 million, NA% of GDP (FY94/95)
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