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 presidential and parliamentary elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in 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 in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in 2012 and was succeeded by vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party. MUTHARIKA's brother, Peter MUTHARIKA, defeated BANDA in the 2014 election. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

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

13 30 S, 34 00 E

Africa

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

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

arable land 38.2%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 19.6%

740 sq km (2012)

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

flooding; droughts; earthquakes

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

19,196,246

Chewa 35.1%, Lomwe 18.9%, Yao 13.1%, Ngoni 12%, Tumbuka 9.4%, Sena 3.5%, Tonga 1.8%, Nyanja 1%, Nkhonde 0.9%, other 1.8% (2015-16 est.)

English (official), Chichewa (common), Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chinkhonde, Chingoni, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chilambya

Protestant 26.9%, Catholic 18.1%, other Christian 41.9%, Muslim 12.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.5% (2015 est.)

Malawi has made great improvements in maternal and child health, but has made less progress in reducing its high fertility rate. In both rural and urban areas, very high proportions of mothers are receiving prenatal care and skilled birth assistance, and most children are being vaccinated. Malawi’s fertility rate, however, has only declined slowly, decreasing from more than 7 children per woman in the 1980s to about 5.5 today. Nonetheless, Malawians prefer smaller families than in the past, and women are increasingly using contraceptives to prevent or space pregnancies. Rapid population growth and high population density is putting pressure on Malawi’s land, water, and forest resources. Reduced plot sizes and increasing vulnerability to climate change, further threaten the sustainability of Malawi’s agriculturally based economy and will worsen food shortages. About 80% of the population is employed in agriculture.

Historically, Malawians migrated abroad in search of work, primarily to South Africa and present-day Zimbabwe, but international migration became uncommon after the 1970s, and most migration in recent years has been internal. During the colonial period, Malawians regularly migrated to southern Africa as contract farm laborers, miners, and domestic servants. In the decade and a half after independence in 1964, the Malawian Government sought to transform its economy from one dependent on small-scale farms to one based on estate agriculture. The resulting demand for wage labor induced more than 300,000 Malawians to return home between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s. In recent times, internal migration has generally been local, motivated more by marriage than economic reasons.

3.31% (2017 est.)

41 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

LILONGWE (capital) 905,000; Blantyre-Limbe 808,000 (2015)

18.9 years

634 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

5.49 children born/woman (2017 est.)

59.2% (2015/16)

11.4% of GDP (2014)

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 95.7% of population

rural: 89.1% of population

total: 90.2% of population

urban: 4.3% of population

rural: 10.9% of population

total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 47.3% of population

rural: 39.8% of population

total: 41% of population

urban: 52.7% of population

rural: 60.2% of population

total: 59% of population (2015 est.)

9.2% (2016 est.)

1 million (2016 est.)

24,000 (2016 est.)

5.8% (2016)

16.7% (2014)

5.6% of GDP (2015)

presidential republic

28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, 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

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Godfrey SHAWA]

Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]

Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]

People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]

United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]

Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, development)

Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights)

Malawi Economic Justice Network or MEJN (pro-economic growth, development, government accountability)

Malawi Law Society (an umbrella organization of all lawyers in Malawi)

Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace, unity)

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, 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

lion; national colors: black, red, green

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The country’s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency, macroeconomic instability, limited connectivity to the region and the world, poor infrastructure, rampant corruption, high population growth, and poor health and education outcomes that limit labor productivity. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and 80% 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 but recent increases in domestic borrowing mean that debt servicing in 2016 exceeded the levels prior to HIPC debt relief. President MUTHARIKA launched the Public Financial Management and Public Sector reform programs upon taking office in 2014 to increase accountability following the 2013 “Cashgate” scandal.

Heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, with corn being the staple crop, Malawi’s economy was hit hard by the El Nino-driven drought in 2015 and 2016. The drought also slowed economic activity, led to two consecutive years of declining economic growth, and contributed to high inflation rates. Following a successful humanitarian response in 2016 and 2017 providing food assistance to 6.7 million people - 40% of the population - and increased transparency by agricultural parastatals, the economy has stabilized and inflation is dropping.

$21.13 billion (2016 est.)

$20.4 billion (2015 est.)

$19.61 billion (2014 est.)

$5.489 billion (2016 est.)

2.3% (2016 est.)

3% (2015 est.)

5.7% (2014 est.)

$1,100 (2016 est.)

$1,100 (2015 est.)

$1,100 (2014 est.)

-3.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

2.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

3.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

tobacco, sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sorghum, pulses, cotton, groundnuts, macadamia nuts, coffee; cattle, goats

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

2.4% (2016 est.)

7 million (2013 est.)

20.4% (2013 est.)

50.7% (2010 est.)

46.1 (2010)

39.9 (2004)

20.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

-5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

56.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

40.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

1 July - 30 June

21.7% (2016 est.)

21.9% (2015 est.)

24% (25 November 2016)

27% (July 2016)

44.1% (31 December 2016 est.)

44.39% (31 December 2015 est.)

$536.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$478.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.238 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.172 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.054 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$812.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$796.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$936.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.341 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$-739 million (2016 est.)

$-714.9 million (2015 est.)

$1.361 billion (2016 est.)

$1.438 billion (2015 est.)

tobacco 55%, dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)

Zimbabwe 12.9%, Mozambique 11%, Belgium 8.2%, South Africa 7.2%, US 6%, China 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

$2.318 billion (2016 est.)

$2.146 billion (2015 est.)

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

South Africa 20.2%, China 13.8%, India 10.8%, UAE 9.7%, Zambia 5.7% (2016)

$563.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$701.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.985 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.766 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$800 million (2015)

$NA

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -

713.85 (2016 est.)

713.85 (2015 est.)

499.6 (2014 est.)

424.9 (2013 est.)

249.11 (2012 est.)

2.12 billion kWh (2015 est.)

1.972 billion kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

353,100 kW (2017 est.)

0.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

93.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

6.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

7,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

6,843 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

1.9 million Mt (2013 est.)

radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2017)

.mw

7Q (2016)

32 (2013)

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

0.61% of GDP (2016)

0.7% of GDP (2015)

0.89% of GDP (2014)

1.24% of GDP (2013)

0.82% of GDP (2012)

Malawi Defense Forces (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Marine Unit) (2012)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2014)

dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River; Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory, while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake; the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake