The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

id="id38020">14.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

900,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

84,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

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

Languages:

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)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 62.7% male: 76.1% female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

5.8% of GDP (2003)

Government
Malawi

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi local long form: Dziko la Malawi local short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland

Government type:

multiparty democracy

Capital:

name: Lilongwe geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 47 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

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

Independence:

6 July 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:

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

Constitution:

18 May 1994

Legal system:

based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004) cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009) election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 35.9%, John TEMBO 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI 2.5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MCP 56, UDF 49, independents 39, RP 15, others 25, vacancies 8

Judicial branch:

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

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD; Congress for National Unity or
CONU; 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]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC [Gwandaguluwe
CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP);
Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA];
National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National
Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; 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 [Bakili MULUZI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group); Malawi Law
Society (human rights); Malawi Movement for the Restoration of
Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy); National
Democratic Alliance or NDA (acts to restore democracy; Public
Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and
unity)

International organization participation:

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Hawa NDILOWE chancery: 1029 Vermont Avenue, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter W. BODDE embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] (1) 773 166 FAX: [265] (1) 770 471

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band

Government - note:

no party has a majority in the fractured legislature

Economy
Malawi

Economy - overview:

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture 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 December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Malawi will now begin a consultative process to develop a five-year program before funding can begin. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. 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. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$10.59 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$3.538 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 37.8% industry: 18.1% services: 44.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.5 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

53% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 31.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

39 (2004)

Investment (gross fixed):

8.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.128 billion expenditures: $1.185 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

50.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

15% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

27.72% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$361.5 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$250.4 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$406.2 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

4.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.13 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

1.051 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 3.3% hydro: 96.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

6,160 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

6,788 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$318 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$604 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

Germany 11.7%, South Africa 10%, Egypt 9.2%, Zimbabwe 8.2%, US 7.3%,
Russia 5.8%, Netherlands 4.5% (2007)

Imports:

$866 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

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

Imports - partners:

South Africa 36.1%, India 8.5%, Tanzania 6.1%, US 6.1%, China 4.9% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$575.3 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$217.2 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$894 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Malawian kwacha (MWK)

Currency code:

MWK

Exchange rates:

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003)

Communications
Malawi

Telephones - main lines in use:

175,200 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.051 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: rudimentary domestic: fixed-line subscribership about 1 per 100 persons; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile cellular subscribership roughly 8 per 100 persons international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)

Radios:

2.6 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.mw

Internet hosts:

107 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

3 (2002)

Internet users:

139,500 (2007)

Transportation
Malawi

Airports:

39 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 16 (2007)

Railways:

total: 797 km narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 15,451 km paved: 6,956 km unpaved: 8,495 km (2003)

Waterways:

700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Military
Malawi

Military branches:

Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

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

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,050,444 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,676,117 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 168,858 female: 168,946 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues
Malawi

Disputes - international:

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

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Malaysia

Introduction
Malaysia

Background:

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which