2000 Edition

Background

Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following year.

Area

land

94,080 sq km

total

118,480 sq km

water

24,400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Sapitwa 3,002 m

lowest point

junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 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

border countries

Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

total

2,881 km

Land use

arable land

34%

forests and woodland

39%

other

7% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

20%

Location

Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

Terrain

narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 2,335,440; female 2,324,012) 15-64 years: 52% (male 2,671,580; female 2,766,560) 65 years and over: 3% (male 117,932; female 170,325) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

38.49 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

22.44 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Infant mortality rate

122.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally

Life expectancy at birth

female

37.98 years (2000 est.)

male

37.2 years

total population

37.58 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

43.4% (1999 est.)

male

72.8%

total population

58%

Nationality

adjective

Malawian

noun

Malawian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

10,385,849

note

estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.61% (2000 est.)

Religions

Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, 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: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.33 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

note

there may be three new districts named Balaka, Likoma, and Phalombe

Capital

Lilongwe

Constitution

18 May 1995

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Malawi

conventional short form

Malawi

former

Nyasaland

Data code

MI

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Amelia Ellen SHIPPY

embassy

address NA, in new development area in Lilongwe

mailing address

P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi

telephone

783 166

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Willie CHOKANI

telephone

(202) 797-1007

Executive branch

cabinet

28-member cabinet named by the president

chief of state

President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Bakili MULUZI reelected president; percent of vote - Bakili MULUZI (UDF) 51.4%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MCP-AFORD) 44.3%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

head of government

President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

FAX

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 - note

the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature

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, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

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

National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - UDF 48%, MCP 34%, AFORD 15%, others 3%; seats by party - UDF 93, MCP 66, AFORD 29, others 4, vacancy 1

elections

last held 15 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

National holiday

Independence Day 6 July (1964); Republic Day 6 July (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD ; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Gwanda CHAKUAMBA, president, John TEMBO, vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP ; Social Democratic Party or SDP ; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI] - governing party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats

Budget

expenditures

$523 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.)

revenues

$490 million

Currency

1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala

Debt - external

$2.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$416.5 million (1995)

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 37% of GDP and 85% of export revenues. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The government faces strong challenges, e.g., to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, to face up to environmental problems of deforestation and erosion, and to deal with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS.

Electricity - consumption

857 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

922 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

2.39%

hydro

97.61%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Malawian kwachas (MK) per US$1 - 46.3494 (December 1999), 44.0881 (1999), 31.0727 (1998), 16.4442 (1997), 15.3085 (1996), 15.2837 (1995)

Exports

$510 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products

Exports - partners

South Africa 15%, US 9%, Germany 9%, Netherlands 7%, Japan (1998)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.4 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

37%

industry

29%

services

34% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $940 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$512 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Imports - partners

South Africa 38%, Zimbabwe 18%, Zambia 8%, Japan 4%, US, UK, Germany (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

45% (1999)

Labor force

3.5 million

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 86%, wage earners 14% (1990 est.)

Population below poverty line

54% (1990-91 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 4 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

2.6 million (1997)

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 - main lines in use

34,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

382 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1999)

Televisions

0 (1999)

Airports

44 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

5,254 km

total

28,400 km

unpaved

23,146 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Railways

narrow gauge

789 km 1.067-m gauge

total

789 km

Waterways

Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km

Military branches

Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$17 million (FY96/97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.8% (FY96/97)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,397,385 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,229,676 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)

MALAYSIA