Malawi

This Page was last updated on the 25th. October, 2005.

 

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Country

Malawi

Official Name

Republic of Malawi
Former Name British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Nyasaland (hominid remains and stone implements identified as dating back more than 1 million years; early humans near Lake Malawi 50,000 to 60,000 years ago; human remains from 8000 BC; Portuguese in the 16th century; David Livingstone at Lake Malawi in 1859; Scottish Presbyterians established at end of the 19th century; African Lakes Company formed in 1878; British consul accredited to the ‘Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa’ in 1883; British established Nyasaland Protectorate [Nyasa is the Chichewa word for ‘lake’] in 1891; British in control during the first half of the 1900s; pressure for independence when Nyasaland joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953; Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda returned to country, assumed leadership of the NAC, which later became the Malawi Congress Party [MCP] in July 1958; Banda was sent to Gwelo Prison in 1959; released in 1960; MCP won the elections for a new Legislative Council on 15 April 1961; at second constitutional conference in London British agreed to self-governing status in November 1962; Banda became Prime Minister on 1 February 1963; new constitution took effect in May 1963; Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland dissolved on 31 December 1963; Malawi [Chichewa name for the ‘flames’, sun’s reflection on lake at dawn] fully independent member of the Commonwealth on July 6, 1964; adopted a new constitution and became a one-party state with Banda as first president in 1966; Banda declared President for life of the MCP in 1970; Banda made President for Life of Malawi in 1971; MCP, Young Pioneers and Youth kept authoritarian control until the 1990s; domestic unrest and pressure from Malawian churches and the international community led to referendum in which the people voted in favor of multi-party democrac on June 14, 1993; elections held and United Democratic Front [UDF] won on 17 May 1994.)

Capital

Lilongwe

Main Towns

Blantyre (the commercial capital), Chikwawa, Chitipa, Dedza, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Limbe, Mangochi, Mzimba, Mzuzu, Nkhotakota, Salima, Zomba (former Capital)

Subdivisions

3 regions: Northern, Central and Southern divided into districts. 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)

Constitution 18 May 1994, May 18, 1995
National Holiday Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)

UN Membership

1 December 1964

OAU Membership

February 1965 – now African Union (AU)

Commonwealth

6 July 1964

Other Organisations

In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt - signatory), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO - correspondent), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Southern African Development Community (SADC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).

Population

World Bank Figures: 10,097,500 (1999), 10,311,000 (2000), 10,526,302 (2001), 10,743,332 (2002), 10,962,012 (2003)
Other Sources: 9,803,384 (July 1995), 10,548,250 (July 2001 est.), 11,651,239 (July 2003 est.) 12,158,924 (July 2005 est.)

Area

45,747 sq. mls. (118,484 sq. kms.)

Density

74 per sq.km. (1995)

Highest Point

Sapitwa 9,849 ft. (3,002 m.)

Lowest Point

Shire River 120 ft. (37 m.)

Neighbours

Mozambique (S, SW & SE), Tanzania (NE), Zambia (W)

Life Expectancy

43 years (1995), total population:  37.08 years, male:  36.61 years, female:  37.55 years (2001 est.)
total population: 37.98 years, male: 37.57 years, female: 38.39 years (2003 est.)
total population: 36.97 years male: 36.59 years female: 37.36 years (2005 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate total: 105.15 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 100.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 109.36 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births male: 107.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 99.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS

adult prevalence rate: 15% (2001 est.) 14.2% (2003 est.)
people living with HIV/AIDS: 850,000 (2001 est.) 900,000 (2003 est.)
deaths: 80,000 (2001 est.) 84,000 (2003 est.)

IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Malawi - Updated: Oct 2005
Population: 12.3 million
HIV Prevalence Rate (%) September 2005: 17.7
No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million
No. Of People in need of ART: 150,000
No. Of People Currently On ART (Oct 05): 28,000
No. Of People on ART Public Sector: 27,400
No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: 600 (private clinics)
No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (end of 2005): 80,000
Front Line Drug Regimen: Stavudine+Lamivudine+D40
HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: 25
The Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding (Round 1, October 2003): US$178,614,264.00
Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: US$36,253,844.00
Total Funds Disbursed By The World BankMulti-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): Nil
Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: US$35 million
Source: Malawi Aids Commission, BMS, The Global Fund, WHO, US State Department

Adult Literacy Rate

57% (1995), total population:  58%, male:  72.8%, female:  43.4% (1999 est.)
total population: 62.7%, male: 76.1%, female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups

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

Languages

English (official), 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)

Religions

Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)

Type of Government

Republic, multiparty democracy

President

Bingu wa Mutharika (since 24 May 2004 [25/10/2005])

Prime Minister

---

Political Parties

Alliance for Democracy (AFORD); Malawi Congress Party (MCP); Malawi Democratic Party (MDP); United Democratic Front (UDF)

Ruling Party

United Democratic Front (UDF)

Currency

Kwacha (K, MWK)(100 tambala)
Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001), 59.544 (2000)

GDP

US$167 (1992) US$1,465m (1995)
GDP: about US$1.7 billion (2003 est.)
GDP: US$ US1.6bn (2004)
purchasing power parity - US$7.41 billion (2004 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - US$670 (2002 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - US$600 (2004 est.)

GNP

US$190 (1992) US$180 (1994) US$170 (1995)
Per Capita Income Per capita GNI: approx. US$160 (2003 est.) GDP per capita: US$155 (2003)
Population Below Poverty Line 54% (FY90 est.) 55% (2004 est.)
Land use arable land: 23.38% permanent crops: 1.49% other: 75.13% (2001) Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Oil and Natural Gas Oil production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 5,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001)
Military Military branches: Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,625,495 (2003 est.)
males age 18-49: 2,320,190 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $13.01 million, 0.7% of GDP (FY02) US$11.1 million, 0.7% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received US$540 million (1999)
Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$44 (1999), US$43 (2000), US$38 (2001), US$35 (2002), US$45 (2003)
The U.S. Government provides about US$31 million annually in development assistance under USAID's Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2001-2007.

Debt

Moderately indebted (HIPC)
World Bank Figures: US$1,487,000,064 (2000), US$1,486,000,000 (2001), US$875,699,968 (2002), US$1,867,800,064 (2003)
Other Sources: US$2,140m (1995), US$2.9 bn (2000 est.) US$2.9 billion (2002) US$3.129 billion (2004 est.)
In late 2000 was approved for relief under Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) programme. In November 2002 World Bank approved a US$50 million drought recovery package.

Major Imports

food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Imports from

South Africa 48%, UK 13.5%, India 4%, Zambia 2.5% (2001) US$535 million
South Africa 43.5%, India 6.8%, Tanzania 4.1% (2004) US$521.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Major Exports

tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Exports to

US 17%, Germany 13%, South Africa 8%, Japan 7.5%, UK 6%, Netherlands 5% (2001) US$456 million
South Africa 13.8%, US 12.3%, Germany 11.8%, Egypt 8.2%, UK 6.8% (2004) US$503.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

We try to have each fact sheet up to date and as accurate as possible.
If you notice any mistakes, or have suggestions on items which could be added, please let us know by emailing to: suttonlink@dial.pipex.com

The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 25 October, 2005

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