Malawi

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

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

$2.2 billion (1995 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

190,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - consumption per capita

67 kWh (1993)

Electricity - production

782 million kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 15.3118 (September 1996), 15.2837 (1995), 8.7364 (1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992)

Exports

total value : $431 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products partners: US, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.5 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 45% industry: 30% services: 25% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $348 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment partners : South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, US, UK, Germany

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

83.3% (1995 est.)

Labor force

total: 3.5 million by occupation : agriculture 86%, wage earners 14% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

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 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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CHAVEAS embassy : address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] 783 166

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007

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

Judicial branch

High Court; Supreme Court of Appeal

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)

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 [Hastings KAMURU BANDA, president/Gwanda CHAKAUMBA, 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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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: 2,163,056 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 1,106,487 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years : 46% (male 2,210,871; female 2,190,564) 15-64 years: 51% (male 2,430,178; female 2,520,608) 65 years and over: 3% (male 109,010; female 147,850) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

40.79 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

25.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

138.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population : 35.26 years male: 34.86 years female: 35.68 years (1997 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 (1997 est.) note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is apparently complete

Population

9,609,081 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.57% (1997 est.)

Religions

Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.77 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

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

Airports

41 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 26 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 4 under 914 m: 20 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 14 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 49,837 km paved : 5,731 km unpaved: 44,106 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota

Railways

total: 789 km narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways

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