Malawi Location:
Physical. Malawi, located in Southern Africa east of Zambia, is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania. Its highly tropical climate features a rainy season from November to May and a dry season from May to November. Its terrain includes a narrow elongated plateau, rolling plains and some mountains. The eastern/central area of the country is dominated by Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa. Natural resources include limestone, arable land, hydropower, uranium, coal, and bauxite.
Malawi Geography:
Geography
Area: 45,747 square miles
Capital: Lilongwe (pop 523,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution; siltation of fish spawning grounds
Geographical features: narrow plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains; landlocked
Climate: subtropical
Malawi People:
People. More than 10.7 million people reside in Malawi. Inhabitants recognize both English and Chichewa as their official languages, with other languages used regionally. Ethnic groups include Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbako, Yao, Lumwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, and Ngonde, with small Asian and European populations as well. The major religions in Malawi are: Protestant (55%), Roman Catholic (20%), and Muslim (20%) with the remainder of people engaging in traditional indigenous customs.
10,702,000 people; 90% Chewa, 10% Nyanja, Lomwe, other Bantu groups
Annual growth rate: 1.39%
Major languages are Chichewa; English; regional languages
Religions: Christian (75%), Muslim (20%), indigenous beliefs (5%)
Malawi Government:
Government. The Republic of Malawi has 24 voting districts and a legal system based on English common law and customary law, as it employs judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeals. Its current constitution was ratified on May 18, 1994. The election of current president Mr. Bakili Muluzi and his United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1994 ended 30 years of dictatorial rule by Dr. Hastings Banda. The government has suffered from its inability to bring improvement to the weak economy, which is largely dependent on tobacco production. The spread of the HIV/AIDs pandemic and a rising crime rate have also shaken public confidence. Mr. Bingu Wa Mutharika of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and former World Bank economist was sworn in as the country's third multi-party President on Monday, May 24, 2004. The United Democratic Front (UDF) only won 49 out of 193 parliamentary seats, and the party is still headed by ex-President Bakili Muluzi.
Malawi is a democracy that became independent on July 6, 1964
President Bakili Muluzi is head of state and government
4 political parties
Universal suffrage at 18
Malawi Communication:
Communication and transportation
38,000 land-line telephones
36,000 Internet users (2002)
8,756 miles of highway
489 miles of railroad
44 airfields
55,000 motor vehicles
Malawi Economy:
Economy. Normally self-sufficient in food, especially maize, the main staple, Malawi is facing its worst famine in more than 50 years. Although most people engage in farming, the government is struggling to feed its people. About 70% of the 6 million Malawians who live below the poverty line are in danger of starvation. The situation was aggravated by the sale of strategic grain reserves in 2000, allegedly on the advice of IMF/World Bank experts. Very little money was collected from the sales and there were no reserves to meet the shortfall which followed two years of drought and a disastrous harvest.
Under pressure from the World Bank, the government has been trying to increase incentives to small landowners. However, rural households are still impoverished, especially as funds sent home by migrant laborers have declined. The distribution of land in many areas remains a major challenge.
Currency: kwachas
Per capita GDP: $660
GDP: $7 billion
GDP growth rate: 1.7%
Inflation rate: 28.6%
Labor force: 86% agriculture
Malawi More Information:
www.malawi.net
www.maform.malawi.net
www.sas.upenn.edu | 
