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. 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 and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen some economic improvement. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009.

Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

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

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

deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations

landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature

15,879,252 (July 2011 est.)

40.85 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

13.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Blantyre 856,000; LILONGWE (capital) 821,000 (2009)

5.43 children born/woman (2011 est.)

urban: 95% of population

rural: 77% of population

total: 80% of population

urban: 5% of population

rural: 23% of population

total: 20% of population (2008)

urban: 51% of population

rural: 57% of population

total: 56% of population

urban: 49% of population

rural: 43% of population

total: 44% of population (2008)

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% (2008 census)

Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (2008 census)

Chichewa (official) 57.2%, Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)

multiparty democracy

28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

6 July 1964 (from the UK)

Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Dindi NYASULU]; Congress of Democrats or CODE [Ralph KASAMBARA]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Maravi People's Party [Uladi MUSSA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Rainbow Coalition Party [Beatrice MWALE]; New Republican Party [Gwanda CHAKUWAMBA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Stanley MASAULI]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI]; United Democratic Party [Kenedy KALAMBO]

Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group); Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights); Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform); Malawi Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), black, and green; a white sun disc is centered on the black band, its surrounding 45 white rays extend partially into the red and green bands; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the sun represents Malawi's economic progress since attaining independence

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture, which has benefited from fertilizer subsidies since 2006, accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% 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. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. 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. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well. The government has announced infrastructure projects that could yield improvements, such as a new oil pipeline, for better fuel access, and the potential for a waterway link through Mozambican rivers to the ocean, for better transportation options. Since 2009, however, Malawi has experienced some setbacks, including a general shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports, and fuel shortages that hinder transportation and productivity. Investment fell 23% in 2009, and continued to decline in 2010. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power, water shortages, poor telecommunications infrastructure, and the high costs of services.

$12.98 billion (2010 est.)

$12.18 billion (2009 est.)

$11.32 billion (2008 est.)

$5.053 billion (2010 est.)

5.747 million (2007 est.)

27.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

40.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

44.6% of GDP (2009 est.)

15% (31 December 2009)

15% (31 December 2008)

25.25% (31 December 2009 est.)

25.28% (31 December 2008 est.)

$626.5 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$580.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.434 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.233 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.72 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.515 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.771 billion (31 December 2008)

$587.2 million (31 December 2006)

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

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

1.69 billion kWh (2007 est.)

1.572 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

8,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

6,960 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

$-315 million (2010 est.)

$-332 million (2009 est.)

$1.189 billion (2010 est.)

$912 million (2009 est.)

tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Germany 12.37%, Egypt 8.52%, South Africa 7.67%, Zimbabwe 7.55%, US 7.4%, Russia 6.79%, Netherlands 6.64%, Japan 4.1% (2009)

$1.675 billion (2010 est.)

$1.502 billion (2009 est.)

food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

South Africa 40.15%, China 6.79%, India 6.73%, France 5.03%, Tanzania 4.81%, Mozambique 4.03% (2009)

$301 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$163.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.213 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.166 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -

radio is the main broadcast medium; state-run radio has the widest geographic broadcasting reach, but about a dozen privately-owned radio stations broadcast in major urban areas; the single television network is government-owned; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010)

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Malawi Defense Forces (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Naval Detachment) (2011)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years reserve service (2007)

disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant