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| Introduction | Malawi |
| 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, which came into full effect the following year. Current President Bakili MULUZI came to power in the 1994 elections and was reelected to office in 1999. His attempts to amend the constitution to allow for a third term have been unsuccessful. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country. |
| People | Malawi |
| Population: | 11,906,855 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 46.8% (male 2,811,751; female 2,759,515) 15-64 years: 50.5% (male 2,978,406; female 3,029,735) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 130,600; female 196,848) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 16.4 years male: 16.1 years female: 16.7 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.14% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 44.35 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 23.01 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 104.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 99.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 108.4 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 37.48 years male: 37.08 years female: 37.88 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 6.04 children born/woman (2004 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: | typhoid fever, malaria, plague, schistosomiasis overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| Nationality: | noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian |
| Ethnic groups: | Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European |
| Religions: | Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2% |
| Languages: | English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 62.7% male: 76.1% female: 49.8% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Malawi |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland |
| Government type: | multiparty democracy |
| Capital: | Lilongwe |
| Administrative divisions: | 27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba |
| Independence: | 6 July 1964 (from 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| 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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held NA May 2009) election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 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 NA May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MCP 56, UDF 49, Mgwirizano Coalition (MC) 25, independents 39, others 24 |
| 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 [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; 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 (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP) [Gwandaguluwe Chakuamba]; Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Congress for Democracy or NCD [Hetherwick NTABA]; 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 [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA] - governing party |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Tony Steven KANDIERO FAX: [1] (202) 265-0976 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007 chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen BROWNING 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: | the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature |
| Communications | Malawi |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 85,000 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 135,100 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station held in standby status) (2001) |
| Radios: | 2.6 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2001) |
| Televisions: | NA |
| Internet country code: | .mw |
| Internet hosts: | 18 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2002) |
| Internet users: | 36,000 (2003) |
| Transportation | Malawi |
| Railways: | total: 797 km narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 28,400 km paved: 5,254 km unpaved: 23,146 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 700 km note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River (2003) |
| Ports and harbors: | Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba |
| Airports: | 42 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Malawi |
| Military branches: | Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including Mobile Force Unit) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 2,691,881 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,381,607 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $11.5 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.7% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Malawi |
| Disputes - international: | dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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