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Read a few quick
facts about Malawi...
Established in 1891, the British protectorate
of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After
three decades of one-party rule under "life-president"
President Hastings Kamuzu Banda the country held multiparty elections
in 1994. Read
more about Malawi's History...
Geography
Area: 118,484
sq. km. (45,747 sq. mi.); land the size of Pennsylvania, with a
lake the size of Vermont.
Capital: Lilongwe.
Terrain:
Plateaus, highlands, and
valleys. Lake Malawi comprises about 20% of total area.
Climate:
Predominately subtropical.
People
Population: 12.1
million. (2005 estimate)
Annual growth rate: 2.06%.
(2005 estimate)
Ethnic groups: Chewa,
Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian,
European.
Religions: Protestant
55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other
2%.
Languages: English
(official), Chichewa (official), regional dialects.
Education: No
compulsory education. Primary school attendance rate is approximately
79%. Literacy rate is 63%. Read
more about education in Malawi...
Health: Infant
mortality rate is 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy
is 41.43 yrs. Read more
about health in Malawi...
Government
Type: Multi-party
democracy.
Independence: July
6, 1964.
Constitution: May
18, 1995.
Political parties: Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP, ruling party) United Democratic Front (UDF),
Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), New
Republican Party (NRP), National Democratic Alliance (NDA), People’s
Progressive Movement (PPM), People’s Transformation Party
(PETRA), and Congress for National Unity (CONU). MCP and UDF are
the two main opposition parties in parliament.
Suffrage: Universal
at 18 years of age.
Central government budget for 2005/06:
$991.6 million (MK 119 billion).
Economy
GDP: $1.87
billion. (2005 est.)
Per capita GNI (2005 est.): Approx.
$150.90.
Natural resources: Limestone,
uranium (potential), coal, bauxite, phosphates, graphite, granite,
black granite, vermilite, aquamarine, tourmaline, rubies, sapphires,
rare earths.
Agriculture (approx. 38.6% of GDP):
Products--tobacco, sugar, cotton, tea, corn,
potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, coffee, rice, groundnuts.
Arable land--34%, of which 86% is cultivated.
Industry (16% of GDP):
Types--tea, tobacco, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods.
Read a few quick
facts about Malawi.... |
