1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 118,480 sq km land: 94,080 sq km water: 24,400 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m highest point: Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Geography-note
landlocked
Irrigated land
280 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 2,881 km border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Land use
arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 39% other: 23% (1993 est.)
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Terrain
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (male 2,249,108; female 2,228,934) 15-64 years: 52% (male 2,512,768; female 2,584,516) 65 years and over: 2% (male 111,089; female 154,059) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
40.22 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
23.68 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Infant mortality rate
133.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 36.59 years male: 36.64 years female: 36.54 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.4% male: 71.9% female: 41.8% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
9,840,474 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
1.66% (1998 est.)
Religions
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.62 children born/woman (1998 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
Constitution
18 May 1995
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi former: Nyasaland
Data code
MI
Executive branch
chief of state: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet named by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999) election results: Bakili MULUZI elected president; percent of vote-NA
FAX
[265] 780 471
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band
Government type
multiparty democracy
Independence
6 July 1964 (from UK)
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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amelia Ellen SHIPPY embassy: address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] 783 166
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: ruling party: United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI] opposition groups: Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Congress for the Second Republic or CSR [Kanyama CHIUME]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Gwanda CHAKUAMBA, president/John TEMBO, vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA, president]; People Democratic Party or PDP [Rolf PATEL]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eston KAKHOME, president]
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 National Assembly (177 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5; note-because of defections and byelections, the seats in the National Assembly were held at the end of the year as follows: UDF 84, MCP 47, AFORD 34, independents 8, and vacant 4 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
National capital
Lilongwe
National holiday
Independence Day 6 July (1964); Republic Day 6 July (1966)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats
Budget
revenues: $530 million expenditures: $674 million, including capital expenditures of $129 million (1993)
Currency
1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Debt-external
$2.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: donor pledges, $332 million (1996)
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 accounts for 45% 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.
Electricity-capacity
185,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
82 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
800 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1-17.5300 (October 1997), 15.3085 (1996), 15.2837 (1995), 8.7364 (1994), 4.4028 (1993)
Exports
total value: $405 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products partners: US, South Africa, Germany, Japan
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$8.6 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 45% industry: 30% services: 25% (1995 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$900 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
6% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $475 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment partners: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, US, UK, Germany
Industrial production growth rate
0.9% (1995)
Industries
tea, tobacco, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
Inflation rate-consumer price index
83.4% (1995)
Labor force
total: 3.5 million by occupation: agriculture 86%, wage earners 14% (1990 est.)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios
1.011 million (1995)
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)
Telephones
43,000 (1985 est.)
Television broadcast stations
0 (1987 est.)
Televisions
NA
Unemployment rate
NA%
Transportation
Airports
45 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 24 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 28,400 km paved: 5,254 km unpaved: 23,146 km (1996 est.)
Railways
total: 789 km narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge
Waterways
Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km Ports and harbors: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota
Military and Security
Military branches
Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$10.4 million (FY94/95)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49 : 2,248,023 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,151,594 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)