Malawi
Republic of Malawi
Capital: Lilongwe
History
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 that came into full effect the following year. 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 and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. As president, he oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
118,484
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
2,881
km
|
| Border Countries |
Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains |
| Minimum Elevation |
37
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,002
m
|
| Climate |
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
| Natural Resources |
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite |
| Arable Land |
30.38% |
| Permanent Crops |
1.1% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$860 million |
| Export Items |
tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel |
| Export Partners |
Canada 12.4%, Zimbabwe 8.9%, Germany 8.8%, South Africa 6.4%, US 6.1%, Russia 6%, Egypt 5%, UK 4.2%, China 4.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$1.75 billion |
| Import Items |
food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment |
| Import Partners |
South Africa 31%, India 10.6%, Zambia 9.4%, China 8.7%, Tanzania 5.7%, US 5.1% (2011) |
People
| Population |
16,777,547 |
| Population Growth |
2.74% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Chewa 32.6%, Lomwe 17.6%, Yao 13.5%, Ngoni 11.5%, Tumbuka 8.8%, Nyanja 5.8%, Sena 3.6%, Tonga 2.1%, Ngonde 1%, other 3.5% |
| Religion |
Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (1998 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
52.78 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
5.3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
