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 (1997 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

$2.3 billion (1996 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 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--consumption

800 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--production

800 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source

fossil fuel: 2.5% hydro: 97.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates

Malawian kwachas (MK) per US$1--43.5426 (January 1999), 31.0727 (1998), 16.4442 (1997), 15.3085 (1996), 15.2837 (1995), 8.7364 (1994)

Exports

$405 million (f.o.b., 1995)

Exports--commodities

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

Exports--partners

US, South Africa, Germany, Japan

Fiscal year

1 April--31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity--$8.9 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector

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

GDP--per capita

purchasing power parity?$940 (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate

3.2% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$475 million (f.o.b., 1995)

Imports--commodities

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

Imports--partners

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, US, UK, Germany

Industrial production growth rate

0.9% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

83.4% (1995)

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%

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: 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, 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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Willie CHOKANI chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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

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, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, 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

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 distribution of seats in the National Assembly had changed at the end of the 1996 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 holiday

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

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

$17 million (FY96/97)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

0.8% (FY96/97)

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 2,314,509 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,186,341 (1999 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 2,265,526; female 2,246,135) 15-64 years: 52% (male 2,580,125; female 2,637,464) 65 years and over: 3% (male 112,813; female 158,353) (1999 est.)

Birth rate

39.54 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate

23.84 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

132.14 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 36.3 years male: 36.49 years female: 36.11 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Population

10,000,416 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.57% (1999 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: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes--international

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

Airports

45 (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways

total: 40 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 23 (1998 est.)

Highways

total: 28,400 km paved: 5,254 km unpaved: 23,146 km (1996 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