]! ^! 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 the previous president failed to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MATHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests but no convictions. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country. 
]" ^" Southern Africa, east of Zambia ^# 13 30 S, 34 00 E ^$ Africa ^% `! 118,480 sq km `" 94,080 sq km `# 24,400 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Pennsylvania ^' `! 2,881 km `U Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km ^( 0 km (landlocked) ^) none (landlocked) ^* sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) ^+ narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains ^, `% junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m `& Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m ^- limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite ^. `' 23.38% `( 1.49% `) 75.13% (2001) ^/ 280 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 NA ^1 deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands `L Law of the Sea ^2 landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature 
]# ^3 12,158,924 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 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 46.9% (male 2,877,568/female 2,823,296) `+ 50.4% (male 3,041,352/female 3,081,762) `, 2.8% (male 132,175/female 202,771) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 16.34 years `- 16.04 years `. 16.65 years (2005 est.) ^6 2.06% (2005 est.) ^7 43.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 23.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.03 male(s)/female `0 1.02 male(s)/female `+ 0.99 male(s)/female `, 0.65 male(s)/female `1 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births `- 107.44 deaths/1,000 live births `. 99.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 41.43 years `- 41.66 years `. 41.2 years (2005 est.) ^= 5.98 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 14.2% (2003 est.) ^? 900,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 84,000 (2003 est.) __ degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004) ^A `2 Malawian(s) `3 Malawian ^B Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European ^C Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census) ^D 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) ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 62.7% `- 76.1% `. 49.8% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of Malawi `5 Malawi `X British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland ^H multiparty democracy ^I Lilongwe ^J 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 ^K 6 July 1964 (from UK) ^L Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964) ^M 18 May 1994 ^N based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `6 President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `7 President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `8 46-member Cabinet named by the president `9 president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) `: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 2.5% ^Q unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `9 last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) `: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1 ^R 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 ^S Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP) [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Congress for Democracy or NCD [Hetherwick NTABA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA] - governing party ^T NA ^U ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE `O 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005 `P [1] (202) 721-0270 `Q [1] (202) 721-0288 ^W `N Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR `Z Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road `[ P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi `P [265] (1) 773 166 `Q [265] (1) 770 471 ^X three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band _g the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature 
]% ^Y Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for nearly 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong 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, the anticorruption campaign championed by President MUTHARIKA may help encourage investment and economic growth. ^Z $7.41 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 4% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) ^] `; 54.8% `< 19.2% `= 26% (2004 est.) ^^ 4.5 million (2001 est.) ^_ agriculture 90% (2003 est.) ^` NA (2003 est.) ^a 55% (2004 est.) _! `> NA `? NA _" 12% (2004 est.) _P 10.7% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $536 million `A $635.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) _Q 228.3% of GDP (2004 est.) _$ tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats _% tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods _& 1.4% (2004 est.) _' 1.088 billion kWh (2002) _( 1.012 billion kWh (2002) _) 0 kWh (2002) _* 0 kWh (2002) _+ 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) _, 5,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _X $-55.5 million (2004 est.) _/ $503.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel _1 South Africa 13.5%, US 12%, Germany 11.6%, Egypt 8.4%, UK 6.6%, Mozambique 4.5% (2004) _2 $521.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment _4 South Africa 37.3%, India 8.1%, Mozambique 7.7%, Zimbabwe 7.2%, Tanzania 4.6%, Germany 4.1% (2004) _Y $160.5 million (2004 est.) _5 $3.129 billion (2004 est.) _6 $540 million (1999) _7 Malawian kwacha (MWK) _8 Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001), 59.544 (2000) _9 1 July - 30 June 
]& _: 85,000 (2003) _; 135,100 (2003) _< `B NA `C system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations `D country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) _= AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station held in standby status) (2001) _> 1 (2001) _? .mw _@ 18 (2003) _A 36,000 (2003) 
]' _e `! 797 km `c 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2004) _B `! 28,400 km `E 5,254 km `F 23,146 km (1999 est.) _b 700 km note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River (2003) _C Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba _D 42 (2004 est.) _E `! 6 `] 1 `^ 1 `_ 4 (2004 est.) _L `! 36 `^ 1 `_ 15 `T 20 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes Mobile Force Unit) _M 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001) _] males age 18-49: 2,320,190 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 995,084 (2005 est.) _N $11.1 million (2004) _O 0.7% (2004) 
]) _H disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant 