]! ^! 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 a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, culminating in MUTHARIKA quitting the political party on whose ticket he was elected into office. MUTHARIKA subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and has continued with a halting anti-corruption campaign against abuses carried out under the previous regime. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of 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 `Y 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 ^. `' 20.68% `( 1.18% `) 78.14% (2005) ^/ 560 sq km (2003) ^0 NA ^1 deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands `Q Law of the Sea ^2 landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature 
]# ^3 13,603,181 `* 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 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 46.1% (male 3,143,724/female 3,130,937) `, 51.2% (male 3,491,114/female 3,474,209) `- 2.7% (male 155,954/female 207,243) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 16.7 years `. 16.6 years `/ 16.8 years (2007 est.) ^6 2.383% (2007 est.) ^7 42.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 18.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.02 male(s)/female `1 1.004 male(s)/female `, 1.005 male(s)/female `- 0.753 male(s)/female `2 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 92.1 deaths/1,000 live births `. 96.27 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 87.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 42.98 years `. 43.35 years `/ 42.61 years (2007 est.) ^= 5.74 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 14.2% (2003 est.) ^? 900,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 84,000 (2003 est.) _` `h very high `i bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007) ^A `3 Malawian(s) `4 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 `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 62.7% `. 76.1% `/ 49.8% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Republic of Malawi `7 Malawi `Z Dziko la Malawi `[ Malawi `\ British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland ^H multiparty democracy ^I `8 Lilongwe `9 13 59 S, 33 44 E `: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `< President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004) `= 46-member Cabinet named by the president `> 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) `? 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% ^Q unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `> last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in 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; 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 ^T NA ^U ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador Hawa NDILOWE `S 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005 `T [1] (202) 721-0270 `U [1] (202) 721-0288 ^W `R Ambassador Alan EASTHAM `_ Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road `` P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi `T [265] (1) 773 166 `U [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 _h no party has a majority in the fractured legislature 
]% ^Y Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and four-fifths 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. 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. ^Z $8.038 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $2.172 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 7% (2006 est.) ^] $600 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 35.4% `A 17.6% `B 47% (2006 est.) ^_ 4.5 million (2001 est.) ^` `@ 90% industry and services: 10% (2003 est.) ^a NA% _! 53% (2004) _" `C NA% `D NA% _d 50.3 (1997) _# 13.9% (2006) _V 9.2% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $818.4 million `F $895.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) _% 68.4% of GDP (2006 est.) _& tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats _' tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods _( 6.4% (2006 est.) _) 1.293 billion kWh (2004) _* 1.202 billion kWh (2004) _+ 0 kWh (2004) _, 0 kWh (2004) _- 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 5,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-186 million (2006 est.) _3 $513.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel _5 US 17.8%, South Africa 11.2%, Egypt 7.6%, Germany 6.9%, Netherlands 6.8%, Japan 4.8%, Russia 4.6%, Mozambique 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2005) _6 $767.9 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment _8 South Africa 36.3%, Zambia 9%, Zimbabwe 7.6%, Mozambique 7%, India 6.7%, Tanzania 4.8% (2005) _[ $175.5 million (2006 est.) _9 $982.4 million (2006 est.) _: $401.5 million (2001) _; Malawian kwacha (MWK) _< Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002) _= 1 July - 30 June 
]& _> 102,700 (2005) _? 429,300 (2005) _@ `G NA `H system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations `I country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) _A AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001) _B 1 (2001) _C .mw _D 377 (2006) _E 52,500 (2005) 
]' _F 42 (2006) _G `! 6 `a 1 `b 1 `c 4 (2006) _R `! 36 `b 1 `c 15 `W 20 (2006) _e `! 797 km `n 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) _H `! 15,451 km `K 6,956 km `L 8,495 km (2003) _b 700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2006) _I Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba 
]( _J Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2007) _T 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001) _K males age 18-49: 2,430,514 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,226,802 (2005 est.) _U 1.4% (2006 est.) 
]) _N disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant 