| Published on March 9, 2010 |
|
Country Report
Malawi
 Introduction
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 that 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 and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen economic improvement but because of political deadlock in the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant legislation, and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi. Mutharika was reelected to a second term in May 2009.
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E
Area:
total: 118,484 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km
water: 24,404 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)
Total renewable water resources: 17.3 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.01 cu km/yr (15%/5%/80%)
per capita: 78 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: NA
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
People
Population:
15,028,757
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.8% (male 3,272,790/female 3,258,893)
15-64 years: 51.5% (male 3,696,857/female 3,656,918)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 162,863/female 220,390) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.8 years
female: 16.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.746% (2009 est.)
Birth rate: 41.68 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate: 14.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 19% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 86.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 90.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 81.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.03 years
male: 49.39 years
female: 50.67 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.59 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 11.9% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 930,000 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 68,000 (2007 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
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
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)
Languages: Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 62.7%
male: 76.1%
female: 49.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2004)
Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2003)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
conventional short form: Malawi
local long form: Dziko la Malawi
local short form: Malawi
former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
Government type: multiparty democracy
Capital:
name: Lilongwe
geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 47 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence: 6 July 1964 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
Constitution: 18 May 1994
Legal system: 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 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 66%, John TEMBO 30.7%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 114, MCP 26, UDF 17, independents 32, other 4
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 [Dindi NYASULU]; Congress of Democrats or CODE [Ralph KASAMBARA]; 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]; Maravi People's Party [Uladi MUSSA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Rainbow Coalition Party [Beatrice MWALE]; New Republican Party [Gwanda CHAKUWAMBA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Stanley MASAULI]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI]; United Democratic Party [Kenedy KALAMBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group); Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights); Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform); Malawi Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hawa NDILOWE
chancery: 1029 Vermont Avenue, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter W. BODDE
embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3
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
Economy - overview: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% 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. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. 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. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well. In 2009, however, Malawi has experienced some setbacks, including a general shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports. Investment fell 23% in 2009. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power, water shortages, poor telecommunications infrastructure, and the high costs of services.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.81 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $4.909 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35.5%
industry: 19.9%
services: 44.6% (2009 est.)
Labor force: 5.747 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA% est.)
Population below poverty line: 53% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 31.9% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 39 (2004)
Investment (gross fixed): 11.6% of GDP (2009 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.215 billion
expenditures: $1.325 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt: 58% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate: 15% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: 25.28% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money: $NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of quasi money: $NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit: $NA (31 December 2008)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products: tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats
Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2009 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.69 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 1.572 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption: 8,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports: 6,960 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance: -$216 million (2009 est.)
Exports: $945 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities: tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel
Exports - partners: South Africa 14.2%, Egypt 9.8%, Zimbabwe 8.7%, US 7.4%, Netherlands 7%, Germany 5.7%, Russia 5.6% (2008)
Imports: $1.625 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Imports - partners: South Africa 41.1%, India 7.5%, China 7.2%, Tanzania 5.3%, US 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $194 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external: $1.091 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $NA (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $NA
Exchange rates: Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - 159.16 (2009), 142.41 (2008), 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005)
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 236,000 (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.781 million (2008)
Telephone system:
general assessment: rudimentary
domestic: fixed-line subscribership about 2 per 100 persons; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile cellular subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
Internet country code: .mw
Internet hosts: 741 (2009)
Internet users: 316,100 (2008)
Transportation
Airports: 32 (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Railways:
total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 15,451 km
paved: 6,956 km
unpaved: 8,495 km (2003)
Waterways: 700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2008)
Ports and terminals: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba
Military
Military branches: Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2009)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,050,444 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,732,621
females age 16-49: 1,562,107 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 174,044
female: 173,828 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
|
