Malawi
Geography | People | Government | Economy | Transport | Communication | Defense | History | Travel
GEOGRAPHY
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Area
- Total area: 118,480 sq km
- Land area: 94,080 sq km
- Comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land Boundaries
Total 2,881 km, Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime Claims
None; landlocked
International Disputes
Dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Climate
Tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain
Narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
highest point: Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m
Natural Resources
- Limestone
- Unexploited deposits of uranium
- Coal
- And bauxite
Land Use
- Arable land: 25%
- Permanent crops: 0%
- Meadows and pastures: 20%
- Forest and woodland: 50%
- Other: 5%
Irrigated Land
200 sq km (1989 est.)
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 - Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: Landlocked
PEOPLE
Population
9,452,844 (July 1996 est.)
9,808,384 (July 1995 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 Years
46% (male 2,189,223; female 2,168,317) (July 1996 est.)
48% (male 2,384,679; female 2,361,309) (July 1995 est.)
15-64 Years
51% (male 2,371,518; female 2,472,245) (July 1996 est.)
49% (male 2,335,729; female 2,479,108) (July 1995 est.)
65 Years and Over
3% (male 107,701; female 143,840) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 107,927; female 139,632) (July 1995 est.)
Population Growth Rate
1.71% (1996 est.)
2.63% (1995 est.)
Birth Rate
41.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
49.81 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death Rate
24.48 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
23.53 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net Migration Rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Note: The return of refugees to Mozambique is apparently complete
Sex ratio
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.75 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
139.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
140.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Total population: 36.16 years (1996 est.), 39.01 years (1995 est.)
- Male: 35.87 (1996 est.), 38.28 years (1995 est.)
- Female: 36.46 years (1996 est.), 39.76 years (1995 est.)
Total Fertility Rate
5.91 children born/woman (1996 est.)
7.36 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality
- Noun: Malawian(s)
- Adjective: Malawian
Ethnic Divisions
- Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religions
Languages
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Literacy
Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
- Total population: 56.4%
- Male: 71.9%
- Female: 41.8%
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)
GOVERNMENT
Names
- Conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
- Conventional short form: Malawi (Pronunciation)
- Former: Nyasaland
Digraph
MI
Type
Multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993; formerly a one-party republic
Capital
Lilongwe
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
Independence
6 July 1964 (from U.K.)
National Holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Constitution
18 May 1995; most recent revision
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
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
- Chief of state and head of government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the United Democratic Front
16 july 1964 - 21 may 1994: Hastings BANDA (died in November 1997)
- Cabinet: Cabinet; named by the president
Legislative Branch
Unicameral
National Assembly
Elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5; note - because of defections and a bi-election of 18 December 1995, the seats in the National Assembly were held at the end of the year as follows: UDF 87, MCP 55, AFORD 35
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
Judicial Branch
High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Political Parties and Leaders
- Ruling party: United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI
- Opposition groups: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Green MUNLO, secretary general (top party position); Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA; Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Eston KAKHOME, president; Malawi Democratic Party (MDP), Kampelo KALUA, president
Member of
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, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
National Anthem
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
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 31% 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. Drought hurt the 1994 economy, with GDP down by 12.4%. Good weather and a strong tobacco crop resulted in an upturn in 1995. In December 1995, donors pledged $332 million in aid for 1996.
National Product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.9 billion (1995 est.), $7.3 billion (1994 est.)
National Product Real Growth Rate
9.9% (1995 est.)
9.3% (1994 est.)
National Product Per Capita
$700 (1995 est.)
$750 (1994 est.)
Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)
83.3% (1995 est.)
30% (1994 est.)
Unemployment Rate
NA
Budget
- Revenues: $530 million (1993), $416 million (1992)
- Expenditures: $674 million, including capital expenditures of $129 million (1993), $498 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1992 est.)
Exports
$365 million (f.o.b., 1994)
$311 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities:
- Tobacco
- Tea
- Sugar
- Coffee
- Peanuts
- Wood products
Partners:
Imports
$240 million (c.i.f., 1994)
$308 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodities:
- Food
- Petroleum products
- Semimanufactures
- Consumer goods
- Transportation equipment
Partners:
External Debt
$1.95 billion (December 1994 est.)
$1.8 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial Production
Growth rate 3.5% accounts for about 14% of GDP (1992 est.)
Electricity
- Capacity: 190,000 kW
- Production: 820 million kWh
- Consumption per capita: 77 kWh (1993)
Industries
- Agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar)
- Sawmilling
- Cement
- Consumer goods
Agriculture
Accounts for 31% of GDP; cash crops - tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops - potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock - cattle, goats
Economic Aid
- Recipient: in December 1995, donors pledged for 1996, $332 million, U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion
Currency
1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 16.3516 (November 1995), 8.7364 (1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989)
Fiscal Year
1 April - 31 March
TRANSPORTATION
Railroads
- Total: 789 km
- Narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways
- Total: 27,294 km
- Paved: NA
- Unpaved: NA
Inland Waterways
Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports
Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkotakota
Airports
- Total: 41
- 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: 20
- With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
- With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14 (1995 est.)
COMMUNICATIONS
Telephone System
43,000 telephones (1985 est.)
- 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
Radio
- Broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
- Radios: 1.011 million (1995)
Television
- Broadcast stations: 0
- Televisions: NA
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches
Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
Manpower Availability
Males age 15-49 2,106,905; males fit for military service 1,076,788 (1996 est.)
Defense Expenditures
Exchange rate conversion - $10.4 million, NA% of GDP (FY94/95), $13 million, 0.7% of GDP (FY93/94)
History
World Atlas
