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Malawi - Country Information

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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 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, culminating in MUTHARIKA quitting the political party on whose ticket he was elected into office. MUTHARIKA subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and has continued with a halting anti-corruption campaign against abuses carried out under the previous regime. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

Geography

Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Area: total: 118,480 sq km, water: 24,400 sq km, land: 94,080 sq km

Land boundaries: total: 2,881 km border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Climate: sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

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

Natural resources: limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

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People

Population: 13,603,181
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 (2007 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.1% (male 3,143,724/female 3,130,937), 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 3,491,114/female 3,474,209), 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 155,954/female 207,243) (2007 est.)

Median age: total: 16.7 years, male: 16.6 years, female: 16.8 years (2007 est.)

Growth Rate: 2.383% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 42.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 18.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 92.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.98 years, male: 43.35 years, female: 42.61 years (2007 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.)

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.)

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Government

Official Name: Republic of Malawi (Dziko la Malawi)

Government type: Multiparty Democracy

Capital: Lilongwe

Independence (from UK): July 6, 1964

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Economy

Overview: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and four-fifths 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. 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. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anti-corruption campaign. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE.

Annual GDP: $8.272 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita: $600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.4%, industry: 17.6%, services: 47% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 4.5 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 90%, Industry & Services: 10% (2003 est.)

Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

Agriculture - products: tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

Exports - commodities: tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

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