Malawi

§1. Malawi Introduction

Background:
  Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the
  independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule
  under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections
  in 1994, under a provisional constitution which came into full effect the
  following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004
  after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution
  to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his
  predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MUTHARIKA's
  anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and one
  prominent conviction. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing
  pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major
  problems for the country.

§2. Malawi Geography

Location:
  Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Geographic coordinates:
  13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 118,480 km²
  land: 94,080 km²
  water: 24,400 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller 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)

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

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with
    Mozambique 37 m
  highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

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

Land use:
  arable land: 20.68%
  permanent crops: 1.18%
  other: 78.14% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  280 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
    Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
    Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
    Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
  landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent
  physical feature

§3. Malawi People

Population:
  13,013,926
  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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.5% (male 3,056,522/female 3,000,493)
  15-64 years: 50.8% (male 3,277,573/female 3,332,907)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 139,953/female 206,478) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.2 years
  female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.38% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  43.13 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  19.33 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 94.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 98.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 89.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 41.7 years
  male: 41.93 years
  female: 41.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  14.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  900,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  84,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A,
    and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Malawian(s)
  adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups:
  Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian,
  European

Religions:
  Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)

Languages:
  Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%,
  Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 62.7%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

§4. Malawi Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
  conventional short form: Malawi
  former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate,
    Nyasaland

Government type:
  multiparty democracy

Capital:
  Lilongwe

Administrative divisions:
  27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa,
  Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji,
  Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi,
  Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

Independence:
  6 July 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:
  Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)

Constitution:
  18 May 1994

Legal system:
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note -
    the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note
    - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election
    last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote -
    Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe
    CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI
    (independent) 2.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 74,
    MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1

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:
  Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Malawi Congress Party
  or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi
  Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano
  Coalition or MC (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP)
  [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE
  [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown
  MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Congress for
  Democracy or NCD [Hetherwick NTABA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM
  [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO];
  Republican Party or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or
  UDF [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA] - governing party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
  UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE
  chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
  FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR
  embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road
  mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
  telephone: [265] (1) 773 166
  FAX: [265] (1) 770 471

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

§5. Malawi Economy

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 accounted for nearly 36% of GDP and 80%
  of export revenues in 2005. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to
  short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 60% of exports. The economy
  depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the
  World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved
  for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The
  government faces strong challenges, including developing a market economy,
  improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems,
  dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying
  foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005,
  President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Malawi's recent
  fiscal policy performance has been very strong, but a serious drought in
  2005 and 2006 will heighten pressure on the government to increase
  spending.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $7.645 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.91 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 35.9%
  industry: 14.5%
  services: 49.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  4.5 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 90% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Population below poverty line:
  55% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  50.3 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  15.4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  9.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $844.6 million
  expenditures: $913.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  208.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca),
  sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  -1.6% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  1.296 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.206 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  5,450 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-217 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $364 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Exports - partners:
  South Africa 13.4%, US 11.9%, Germany 11.5%, Egypt 8.4%, UK 6.6%,
  Mozambique 4.5% (2004)

Imports:
  $645 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation
  equipment

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 35.5%, India 7.7%, Mozambique 7.3%, Zimbabwe 6.8%, Zambia
  6.3%, Tanzania 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $146 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $3.284 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $401.5 million (2001)

Currency (code):
  Malawian kwacha (MWK)

Exchange rates:
  Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433
  (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Malawi Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  93,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  222,100 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and
    radiotelephone communications stations
  international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1
    Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station
  held in standby status) (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2001)

Internet country code:
  .mw

Internet hosts:
  305 (2005)

Internet users:
  46,100 (2005)

§7. Malawi Transportation

Airports:
  42 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 20 (2005)

Railways:
  total: 797 km
  narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 28,400 km
  paved: 5,254 km
  unpaved: 23,146 km (1999)

Waterways:
  700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

§8. Malawi Military

Military branches:
  Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police
    (includes Mobile Force Unit)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 2,320,190 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 995,084 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $15.81 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.8% (2005 est.)

§9. Malawi Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and
  the meandering Songwe River remain dormant


<Factbook 2006>
