1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 118,480 sq km land area: 94,080 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Environment
current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish population 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 - Law of the Sea
International disputes
dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Irrigated land
200 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 2,881 km, Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Land use
arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 50% other: 5%
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none; landlocked
Natural resources
limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Note
landlocked
Terrain
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (female 2,361,309; male 2,384,679) 15-64 years: 49% (female 2,479,108; male 2,335,729) 65 years and over: 3% (female 139,632; male 107,927) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
49.81 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
23.53 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Infant mortality rate
140.2 deaths/1,000 live births (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)
Languages
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 39.01 years male: 38.28 years female: 39.76 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1987) total population: 48% male: 65% female: 34%
Nationality
noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian
Net migration rate
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is much reduced compared with 1994
Population
9,808,384 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
2.63% (1995 est.)
Religions
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs
Total fertility rate
7.36 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Lilongwe
Constitution
6 July 1966; republished as amended January 1974
Digraph
MI
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Patrick NYASULU (since 14 October 1994) chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007
Executive branch
chief of state and head of government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the United Democratic Front cabinet: Cabinet; named by the president
FAX
[265] 780 471
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan, which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
Independence
6 July 1964 (from UK)
Judicial branch
High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
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
Legislative branch
unicameral
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, 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, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi former: Nyasaland
National Assembly
elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Political parties and leaders
ruling party: United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI opposition groups: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Gwanda CHAKUAMBA Phiri, secretary general (top party position); Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA; Socialist League of Malawi (Lesoma), Kapote MWAKUSULA, secretary general; Malawi Democratic Union (MDU), Harry BWANAUSI; Congress for the Second Republic (CSR), Kanyama CHIUME; Malawi Socialist Labor Party (MSLP), Stanford SAMBANEMANJA
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Type
multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993; formerly a one-party republic
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
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops - tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops - potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock - cattle, goats
Budget
revenues: $416 million expenditures: $498 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Currency
1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion
Electricity
capacity: 190,000 kW production: 820 million kWh consumption per capita: 77 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 7.8358 (August 1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989)
Exports
$311 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products partners: US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany
External debt
$1.8 billion (December 1993 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Imports
$308 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment partners: South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
Industrial production
growth rate 3.5% accounts for about 15% of GDP (1992 est.)
Industries
agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
30% (1994 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$750 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
9.3% (1994 est.)
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 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992, but the lost ground was recovered in 1993. 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.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
42,250 telephones local: NA intercity: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communications stations international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean ) earth stations
Television
broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 47 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: 25 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 15
Highways
total: 13,135 km paved: 2,364 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 251 km; earth, improved earth 10,520 km
Inland waterways
Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports
Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkotakota
Railroads
total: 789 km narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge
Military and Security
Branches
Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary Malawi Young Pioneers
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $13 million, 0.7% of GDP (FY93/94) ________________________________________________________________________ MALAYSIA
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 2,069,302; males fit for military service 1,056,372 (1995 est.)