World Facts Index
 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 that 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, struggled to assert
his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party,
the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has
overseen substantial economic improvement but because of political deadlock in
the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant
legislation, and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth,
increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of
HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Geography of Malawi
|
Location:
|
Southern Africa, east of
Zambia |
|
Coordinates:
|
13 30 S, 34 00 E |
|
Area:
|
total: 118,480 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km |
|
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) |
|
Climate:
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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 |
|
Environment current issues:
|
deforestation; land
degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage,
industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish
populations |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked; Lake Nyasa,
some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
|
Population of Malawi
|
Population:
|
13,931,831 (July 2009 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) |
|
Median age:
|
16.5 years
|
|
Growth rate:
|
2.38% |
|
Infant mortality:
|
94.37 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 41.7 years
male: 41.93 years
female: 41.45 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
5.92 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Malawian(s)
adjective: Malawian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena,
Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European |
|
Religions:
|
Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim
20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2% |
|
Languages:
|
English (official), Chichewa (official),
other languages important regionally |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 62.7%
male: 76.1%
female: 49.8%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Malawi
former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland |
|
Government type:
|
multiparty democracy |
|
Capital:
|
Lilongwe |
|
Administrative divisions:
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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; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
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)
cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for
a second term). |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms) |
|
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 |
Economy
Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least
developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 85%
of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than
one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco
sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of
exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance
from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In December 2007,
the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within
the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Malawi will now begin a
consultative process to develop a five-year program before funding can begin.
In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces many 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. Since 2005
President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline
under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year
Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved
relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well.
|
GDP:
|
$10.59 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
8% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$800 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 34.2%
industry: 15.8%
services: 49.9% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
15.4% |
|
Labor force:
|
4.5 million |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 90% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $844.6 million
expenditures: $913.9 million |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 3.3%
hydro: 96.7%
other: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products,
cement, consumer goods |
|
Agriculture:
|
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn,
potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats |
|
Exports:
|
tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee,
peanuts, wood products, apparel |
|
Export partners:
|
US 17.7%, South Africa 12.5%, Egypt 7.8%, Netherlands
6.6%, Germany 6.6%, Japan 4.8%, UK 4.3%, Mozambique 4.2% |
|
Imports:
|
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures,
consumer goods, transportation equipment |
|
Import partners:
|
South Africa 37.6%, India 8.1%, Mozambique 7.8%, Zimbabwe
7.2%, Zambia 6.7%, Tanzania 4.6% |
|
Currency:
|
Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |