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. 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.

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; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth

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%

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)

Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (1998 census)

16,323,044 (July 2012 est.)

40.42 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

12.84 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

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

460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

5.35 children born/woman (2012 est.)

0.019 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2007)

urban: 51% of population

rural: 57% of population

total: 56% of population

urban: 49% of population

rural: 43% of population

total: 44% of population

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

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa

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 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. 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. Donors, who provided an average of 36% of government revenue in the past five year, suspended general budget support for Malawi in 2011 due to a negative IMF review and governance issues.

$14.58 billion (2012 est.)

$13.98 billion (2011 est.)

$13.4 billion (2010 est.)

$4.49 billion (2012 est.)

5.747 million (2007 est.)

23.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

24.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

-6.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

47.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

32.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

15% (31 December 2009)

15% (31 December 2008)

24.1% (31 December 2012 est.)

23.8% (31 December 2011 est.)

$655.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$866.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.382 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.92 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.224 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.042 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.384 billion (31 December 2011)

$1.363 billion (31 December 2010)

$1.383 billion (31 December 2009)

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

-$683.4 million (2012 est.)

-$758.5 million (2011 est.)

$860 million (2012 est.)

$945.1 million (2011 est.)

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

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)

$1.752 billion (2012 est.)

$1.722 billion (2011 est.)

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

South Africa 31%, India 10.6%, Zambia 9.4%, China 8.7%, Tanzania 5.7%, US 5.1% (2011)

$315.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$213.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.214 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.051 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -

1.736 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.614 billion kWh (2009 est.)

299,500 kW (2009 est.)

5.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

94.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

12,060 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

7,209 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

1.358 million Mt (2010 est.)

3.952 million (2011)

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 TV 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, Marine Unit) (2012)

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