$Unique_ID{COW02288} $Pretitle{372} $Title{Malawi Statistical Profile of Malawi} $Subtitle{} $Author{Central Intelligence Agency} $Affiliation{United States Government} $Subject{rate km malawi million lake population president total } $Date{1990} $Log{National Anthem*65000010.aud Map of Malawi*0228801.scf Flag of Malawi*0228802.scf } Country: Malawi Book: CIA World Factbook Author: Central Intelligence Agency Affiliation: United States Government Date: 1990 [Hear National Anthem] [See Map of Malawi] [See Flag of Malawi] Statistical Profile of Malawi Geography Total area: 118,480 km2; land area: 94,080 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania Land boundaries: 2,881 km total; Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km Coastline: none--landlocked Maritime claims: none--landlocked Disputes: maritime dispute with Tanzania in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains Natural resources: limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite Land use: 25% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 50% forest and woodland; 5% other; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: deforestation Note: landlocked People Population: 8,736,743 (July 1989), growth rate 6.0% (1989) Birth rate: 51 births/1,000 population (1989) Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1989) Net migration rate: 27 migrants/1,000 population (1989) Infant mortality rate: 132 deaths/1,000 live births (1989) Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male, 50 years female (1989) Total fertility rate: 7.7 children born/woman (1989) Nationality: noun--Malawian(s); adjective--Malawian Ethnic divisions: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European Religion: 55% Protestant, 20% Roman Catholic, 20% Muslim; traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced Language: English and Chichewa (official); other languages important regionally Literacy: 25% Labor force: 428,000 wage earners; 43% agriculture, 16% manufacturing, 15% personal services, 9% commerce, 7% construction, 4% miscellaneous services, 6% other permanently employed (1986) Organized labor: small minority of wage earners are unionized Note: there are several hundred thousand Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1988 est.) Government Long-form name: Republic of Malawi Type: one-party state Capital: Lilongwe Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Kasupe, Lilongwe, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly Nyasaland) Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as amended January 1974 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 National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1964) Branches: strong presidential system with Cabinet appointed by the president; unicameral National Assembly of 87 elected members and an unlimited number nominated by the president; High Court with chief justice and at least two justices Leader: Chief of State Head of Government Dr. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA, President (since 1966) Suffrage: universal over age 21 Elections: President Banda designated President for Life in 1970; parliamentary election last held May 1987 Political parties and leaders: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Maxwell Pashane, administrative secretary; John Tembo, treasurer general; top party position of secretary general vacant since 1983 Communists: no Communist party Member of: AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, EC (associated member), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007; US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone 730-166 Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands Economy Overview: The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free-enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. In 1986 the economy deteriorated and GDP declined by 0.3% as a result of depressed international commodity prices, the high production costs of manufactured goods, and higher transportation costs brought about by the civil war in Mozambique. (Malawi is a landlocked country and must now ship goods through Durban, South Africa.) In 1986 the inflation rate rose to 20%. GDP: $1.2 billion, per capita $170; growth rate - 0.3% (1986) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1986) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $246 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY88 est.) Exports: $277 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts; partners--US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG Imports: $296 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment; partners--South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe External debt: $1.3 billion (December 1988 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 1.7% (1986) Electricity: 172,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1988) Industries: agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods Agriculture: cash crops--sugar, tea, coffee, peanuts, cotton; subsistence crops--corn, sorghum, millet, root crops; self-sufficient in food production under normal conditions Aid: US commitments (FY70-87), $132 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $1.6 billion Currency: Malawian kwacha (plural--kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1--2.6231 (January 1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987), 1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March Communications Railroads: 789 km 1.067-meter gauge Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota--all on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft Airports: 51 total, 50 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite stations--1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT Note: a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Nacala railroad, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to rail line Defense Forces Branches: Army, Army Air Wing, Army Naval Detachment, paramilitary Police Mobile Unit, paramilitary Young Pioneers Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,797,589; 913,117 fit for military service Military budget: $31 million, 11.1% of central government budget (FY88)