Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

42,250 telephones local: NA intercity: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communications stations international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean ) earth stations

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary Malawi Young Pioneers

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $13 million, 0.7% of GDP (FY93/94) MALAYSIA

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 2,069,302; males fit for military service 1,056,372 (1995 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops - tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops - potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock - cattle, goats

Budget [time series]

revenues: $416 million expenditures: $498 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.15 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 190,000 kW production: 820 million kWh consumption per capita: 77 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 7.8358 (August 1994), 4.4028 (1993), 3.6033 (1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$311 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products partners: US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.8 billion (December 1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Imports [time series]

$308 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment partners: South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.5% accounts for about 15% of GDP (1992 est.)

Industries [time series]

agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

30% (1994 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$750 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

9.3% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992, but the lost ground was recovered in 1993. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The new government faces strong challenges, e.g., to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, and to deal with environmental problems of deforestation and erosion.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total area: 118,480 sq km land area: 94,080 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish population natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)

Irrigated land [time series]

200 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 2,881 km, Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 50% other: 5%

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Administrative divisions [time series]

24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

Capital [time series]

Lilongwe

Constitution [time series]

6 July 1966; republished as amended January 1974

Digraph [time series]

MI

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Patrick NYASULU (since 14 October 1994) chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state and head of government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994), leader of the United Democratic Front cabinet: Cabinet; named by the president

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[265] 780 471

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

6 July 1964 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi former: Nyasaland

Legislative branch (National Assembly) [time series]

elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (177 total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 July (1964)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

ruling party: United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI opposition groups: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Gwanda CHAKUAMBA Phiri, secretary general (top party position); Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA; Socialist League of Malawi (Lesoma), Kapote MWAKUSULA, secretary general; Malawi Democratic Union (MDU), Harry BWANAUSI; Congress for the Second Republic (CSR), Kanyama CHIUME; Malawi Socialist Labor Party (MSLP), Stanford SAMBANEMANJA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

multiparty democracy following a referendum on 14 June 1993; formerly a one-party republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CHAVEAS embassy: address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] 783 166

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 48% (female 2,361,309; male 2,384,679) 15-64 years: 49% (female 2,479,108; male 2,335,729) 65 years and over: 3% (female 139,632; male 107,927) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

49.81 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

23.53 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Infant mortality rate [time series]

140.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

428,000 wage earners by occupation: agriculture 43%, manufacturing 16%, personal services 15%, commerce 9%, construction 7%, miscellaneous services 4%, other permanently employed 6% (1986)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 39.01 years male: 38.28 years female: 39.76 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1987) total population: 48% male: 65% female: 34%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian

Net migration rate [time series]

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: the return of refugees to Mozambique is much reduced compared with 1994

Population [time series]

9,808,384 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.63% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, traditional indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.36 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Airports [time series]

total: 47 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 25 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 15

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 13,135 km paved: 2,364 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 251 km; earth, improved earth 10,520 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km

Ports [time series]

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkotakota

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 789 km narrow gauge: 789 km 1.067-m gauge