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 a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, culminating in MUTHARIKA quitting the political party on whose ticket he was elected into office. MUTHARIKA subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and has continued with a halting anti-corruption campaign against abuses carried out under the previous regime. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Geographic coordinates
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
118,480 sq km
land
94,080 sq km
water
24,400 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)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
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
Land use
arable land
20.68%
permanent crops
1.18%
other
78.14% (2005)
Irrigated land
560 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
NA
Environment - current issues
deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
Population
13,603,181
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
46.1% (male 3,143,724/female 3,130,937)
15-64 years
51.2% (male 3,491,114/female 3,474,209)
65 years and over
2.7% (male 155,954/female 207,243) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
16.7 years
male
16.6 years
female
16.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.383% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
42.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
18.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.004 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.005 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.753 male(s)/female
total population
0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
92.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male
96.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female
87.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
42.98 years
male
43.35 years
female
42.61 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.74 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
14.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
900,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
84,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
water contact disease
schistosomiasis (2007)
Nationality
noun
Malawian(s)
adjective
Malawian
Ethnic groups
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religions
Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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); election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009)
election results
Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 35.9%, John TEMBO 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI 2.5%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 74, MCP 60, independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1
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
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Democracy or AFORD; Congress for National Unity or CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; 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 [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP); Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; 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
1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005
telephone
[1] (202) 721-0270
FAX
[1] (202) 721-0288
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Alan EASTHAM
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
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band
Government - note
no party has a majority in the fractured legislature
Economy - overview
Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and four-fifths 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 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$8.272 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.202 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
8.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
35.4%
industry
17.6%
services
47% (2006 est.)
Labor force
4.5 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
90%
industry and services
10% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
53% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index
50.3 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
13.9% (2006)
Investment (gross fixed)
9.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$818.4 million
expenditures
$895.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
