1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
none; maritime dispute with Tanzania
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Comparative area
about the size of Pennsylvania
Environment
deforestation
Land boundaries
2,881 km total
Land use
25% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 50% forest and woodland; 5% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
landlocked
Terrain
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Total area
118,480 km?; land area: 94,080 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Asian, European
Infant mortality rate
14/1,000 (1983)
Labor force
344,052 wage earners employed in Malawi (1982); 52% agriculture, 16% personal services, 9% manufacturing, 7% construction, 6% commerce, 4% miscellaneous services, 6% other permanently employed
Language
English and Chichewa (official); Tombuka is second African language
Life expectancy
47
Literacy
25%
Nationality
noun—Malawian(s); adjective—Malawian
Organized labor
small minority of wage earners are unionized
Population
7,437,911 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.15%
Religion
55% Protestant, 20% Roman Catholic, 20% Muslim; traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced by some members of these groups
Government
Administrative divisions
3 administrative regions and 24 districts
Branches
strong presidential system with Cabinet appointed by President; unicameral National Assembly of 87 elected and up to 15 nominated members; High Court with Chief Justice and at least two justices
Capital
Lilongwe
Communists
no Communist party
Elections
President Banda designated President for Life in 1970; parliamentary elections last held June 1983, next scheduled for 1988 Political parties and leaders: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Robson Chirwa, administrative secretary
Government leader
Dr. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA, President (since 1966)
Legal system
based on English common law and customary law; constitution adopted 1964; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeals; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
AfDB, Commonwealth, EC (associated member), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, 1SO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Republic Day, 6 July
Official name
Republic of Malawi
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
one-party state
Economy
Agriculture
cash crops—tobacco, tea, sugar, peanuts, cotton, tung oil, maize; subsistence crops—corn, sorghum, millet, pulses, root crops, fruit, vegetables, rice; self-sufficient in food production
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-84), $1.3 billion; US authorized (FY70-85), $82 million
Budget
revenues, $211.9 million; expenditures, $231.9 million (1983)
Electric power
152,000 kW capacity; 466 million kWh produced, 63 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$271.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); tobacco, tea, sugar, peanuts, cotton, corn
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$1.11 billion, $160 per capita (1985); real growth rate 3.0% (1982)
Imports
$291.3 billion (c.i-f., 1985); manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, building and construction materials, fuel, fertilizer
Major industries
agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods
Major trade partners
exports—UK, FRG, US, Netherlands, South Africa; imports— South Africa, UK, Japan, US, FRG
Monetary conversion rate
2.00 Malawi kwacha=US$1 (November 1986)
Natural resources
limestone, uranium potential
Communications
Airfields
50 total, 49 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
6 major transport aircraft
Highways
13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth
Inland waterways
Lake Nyasa, 23,300 km?; Shire River, 144 km, 4 lake ports
Railroads
789 km 1.067-meter gauge
Telecommunications
fair system of open-wire lines, radio-relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 7 AM, 2 FM, and 15 repeaters; no TV stations; 1 Indian Ocean and | Atlantic Ocean satellite station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Army Air Wing, Army Naval Detachment, paramilitary Police Mobile Unit
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,511,000; 767,000 fit for military service