NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Republic of Malawi
former: Nyasaland
GOVERNMENT
|
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 Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: 38-member Cabinet named by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Bakili MULUZI reelected president; percent of vote - Bakili MULUZI (UDF) 51.4%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MCP-AFORD) 44.3% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 June 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - UDF 48%, MCP 34%, AFORD 15%, others 3%; seats by party - UDF 96, MCP 61, AFORD 30, others 6 |
|
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, president]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Gwanda CHAKUAMBA, president, John TEMBO, vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA, president]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI] - governing party |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
National Democratic Alliance [Brown MPINGANJIRA] |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, 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 Roger A. MEECE
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 |
ECONOMY
|
Economy - overview:
|
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 88% of export revenues. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong challenges, e.g., to fully develop a market economy, to improve educational facilities, to face up to environmental problems, and to deal with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $7 billion (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.7% (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $660 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 40%
industry: 19% services: 41% (2000 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
54% (FY90/91 est. ) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
28.6% (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
4.5 million (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 86% (1997 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
NA% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $490 million
expenditures: $523 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
2.5% (2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
825 million kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 3%
hydro: 97% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
767.25 million kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; cattle, goats, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts |
|
Exports:
|
$415.5 million f.o.b. (2001) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel |
|
Exports - partners:
|
South Africa 18%, Germany 13%, US 13%, UK 10%, Japan 7%, Netherlands 3% (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$463.6 million f.o.b. (2001) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment |
|
Imports - partners:
|
South Africa 40%, UK 11%, Zimbabwe 7%, Japan 5%, Germany 2%, US 1.8%, Zambia (2000) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$2.8 billion (2001 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$427 million (1999) (1999) |
|
Currency:
|
Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
|
Currency code:
|
MWK |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 67.3111 (December 2001), 72.1973 (2001), 59.5438 (2000), 44.0881 (1999), 31.0727 (1998), 16.4442 (1997) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 July - 30 June |