Malawi (2005) | Mayotte (2003) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 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 | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 46.9% (male 2,877,568/female 2,823,296)
15-64 years: 50.4% (male 3,041,352/female 3,081,762) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 132,175/female 202,771) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 46.5% (male 41,632; female 41,301)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 50,373; female 42,118) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,502; female 1,511) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | 42 (2004 est.) | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 118,480 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km water: 24,400 sq km |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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 the previous president failed to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MATHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests but no convictions. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country. | Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence. |
Birth rate | 43.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 42.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $536 million
expenditures: $635.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) |
Capital | Lilongwe | Mamoutzou |
Climate | sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 185.2 km |
Constitution | 18 May 1994 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
conventional short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | - | euro (EUR) |
Death rate | 23.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 8.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $3.129 billion (2004 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR
embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] (1) 773 166 FAX: [265] (1) 770 471 |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE
chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288 |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | $540 million (1999) | $107.7 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (1995) |
Economy - overview | Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for nearly 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong 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, the anticorruption campaign championed by President MUTHARIKA may help encourage investment and economic growth. | Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.012 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.088 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
- |
Ethnic groups | Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European | NA |
Exchange rates | Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001), 59.544 (2000) | euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 2.5% |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 3 July 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term |
Exports | NA | $3.44 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon |
Exports - partners | South Africa 13.5%, US 12%, Germany 11.6%, Egypt 8.4%, UK 6.6%, Mozambique 4.5% (2004) | France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band | the flag of France is used |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $85 million (1998 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 54.8%
industry: 19.2% services: 26% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $600 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 13 30 S, 34 00 E | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Government - note | the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature | - |
Highways | total: 28,400 km
paved: 5,254 km unpaved: 23,146 km (1999 est.) |
total: 93 km
paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $141.3 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals |
Imports - partners | South Africa 37.3%, India 8.1%, Mozambique 7.7%, Zimbabwe 7.2%, Tanzania 4.6%, Germany 4.1% (2004) | France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 11% (2000 est.) |
Independence | 6 July 1964 (from UK) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.4% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Industries | tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 107.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 99.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 65.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 12% (2004 est.) | NA% |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | FZ |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 280 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
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 | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 4.5 million (2001 est.) | 48,800 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 90% (2003 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 23.38%
permanent crops: 1.49% other: 75.13% (2001) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.) |
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) | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | French law |
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 May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1 |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 2000 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held as a special election on NA June 2005); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 41.43 years
male: 41.66 years female: 41.2 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 60.6 years
male: 58.49 years female: 62.78 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 62.7% male: 76.1% female: 49.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Africa, east of Zambia | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Africa | Africa |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island |
Military branches | Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes Mobile Force Unit) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $11.1 million (2004) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% (2004) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Malawian(s)
adjective: Malawian |
noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
Natural hazards | NA | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 7.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; 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 (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP) [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Congress for Democracy or NCD [Hetherwick NTABA]; 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 [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA] - governing party | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 12,158,924
note: 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 2005 est.) |
178,437 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 55% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.06% (2005 est.) | 4.25% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba | Dzaoudzi |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third station held in standby status) (2001) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Railways | total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2004) |
0 km |
Religions | Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census) | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros (2001) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 85,000 (2003) | 12,000 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 135,100 (2003) | 0 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2001) | 3 (2001) |
Terrain | narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | 5.98 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 6.07 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA (2003 est.) | 38% (1999) |
Waterways | 700 km
note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River (2003) |
none |