CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Malawi


 * }

!| 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 the previous president was unable to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MATHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests but no convictions. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.
 * }


 * }

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 24,400 sq km land: 94,080 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 1.49% other: 75.13% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea !| Geography - note:
 * Southern Africa, east of Zambia
 * 13 30 S, 34 00 E
 * Africa
 * total: 118,480 sq km
 * slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
 * total: 2,881 km
 * 0 km (landlocked)
 * none (landlocked)
 * sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
 * narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
 * lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
 * limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
 * arable land: 23.38%
 * 280 sq km (1998 est.)
 * NA
 * deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
 * 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
 * landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
 * }


 * }

!| Population: 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 2004 est.) !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 50.5% (male 2,978,406; female 3,029,735) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 130,600; female 196,848) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 16.1 years female: 16.7 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 99.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 108.4 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 37.08 years female: 37.88 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Major infectious diseases: overall degree of risk: very high (2004) !| Nationality: adjective: Malawian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 62.7% male: 76.1% female: 49.8% (2003 est.)
 * 11,906,855
 * 0-14 years: 46.8% (male 2,811,751; female 2,759,515)
 * total: 16.4 years
 * 2.14% (2004 est.)
 * 44.35 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 23.01 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * total: 104.23 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 37.48 years
 * 6.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 14.2% (2003 est.)
 * 900,000 (2003 est.)
 * 84,000 (2003 est.)
 * typhoid fever, malaria, plague, schistosomiasis
 * noun: Malawian(s)
 * Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
 * Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%
 * English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * }


 * }

!| Country name: conventional short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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 NA 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: elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held NA May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MCP 56, UDF 49, Mgwirizano Coalition (MC) 25, independents 39, others 24 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 265-0976 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007 chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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: !| Government - note:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
 * multiparty democracy
 * Lilongwe
 * 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
 * 6 July 1964 (from UK)
 * Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
 * 18 May 1994
 * 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
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
 * unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * 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
 * 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
 * NA
 * ACP, AfDB, AU, C, 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, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Tony Steven KANDIERO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen BROWNING
 * three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band
 * the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature
 * }


 * }

!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 21.8% services: 27.2% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $653.2 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001. 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. In November 2002 the World Bank approved a $50 million drought recovery package, which is to be used for famine relief. The government faces strong challenges, e.g., to fully develop a market economy, to improve educational facilities, to face up to environmental problems, to deal with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and to satisfy foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports.
 * purchasing power parity - $6.845 billion (2003 est.)
 * 1.7% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $600 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 51%
 * 12.3% of GDP (2003)
 * 55% (2003 est.)
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 9.5% (2003 est.)
 * 4.5 million (2001 est.)
 * agriculture 90% (2003 est.)
 * NA (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $528.1 million
 * 235.7% of GDP (2003)
 * tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats
 * tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
 * -1.6% (2003 est.)
 * 769.2 million kWh (2001)
 * 715.3 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 5,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-58 million (2003)
 * $455 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel
 * South Africa 23.3%, US 13.4%, Germany 11.3%, Egypt 5.7%, Portugal 4.8%, Japan 4.5%, Netherlands 4.1% (2003)
 * $505 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
 * South Africa 53.7%, India 4.9%, Tanzania 3.9% (2003)
 * $132 million (2003)
 * $3.026 billion (2003)
 * $540 million (1999)
 * Malawian kwacha (MWK)
 * MWK
 * Malawian kwachas per US dollar - NA (2003), 76.6866 (2002), 72.1973 (2001), 59.5438 (2000), 44.0881 (1999)
 * 1 July - 30 June
 * }


 * }

!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: 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: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 85,000 (2003)
 * 135,100 (2003)
 * general assessment: NA
 * AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station held in standby status) (2001)
 * 2.6 million (1997)
 * 1 (2001)
 * NA
 * .mw
 * 18 (2003)
 * 3 (2002)
 * 36,000 (2003)
 * }


 * }

!| Railways: narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 5,254 km unpaved: 23,146 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River (2003) !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
 * total: 797 km
 * total: 28,400 km
 * 700 km
 * Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba
 * 42 (2003 est.)
 * total: 6
 * total: 36
 * }


 * }

!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including Mobile Force Unit)
 * 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
 * males age 15-49: 2,691,881 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 1,381,607 (2004 est.)
 * $11.5 million (2003)
 * 0.7% (2003)
 * }