home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Countries of the World
/
COUNTRYS.BIN
/
dp
/
0228
/
02288.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-07-01
|
8KB
|
252 lines
$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)