NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Malawi
former: Nyasaland
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following year. National multiparty elections were held again in 1999. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Southern Africa, east of Zambia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 30 S, 34 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 118,480 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km land: 94,080 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
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Terrain:
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narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m |
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Natural resources:
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limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite |
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Land use:
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arable land: 19.93%
permanent crops: 1.33% other: 78.74% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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280 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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10,701,824
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 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 44% (male 2,358,730; female 2,347,017)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 2,810,478; female 2,884,601) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 120,761; female 180,237) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.39% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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37.13 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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23.2 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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119.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 36.59 years
female: 37.15 years (2002 est.) male: 36.05 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.04 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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15.96% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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800,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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70,000 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Malawian(s)
adjective: Malawian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European |
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Religions:
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Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2% |
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Languages:
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English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58% male: 72.8% female: 43.4% (1999 est.) |