Malawi: Fact file
Updated November 2010
| Name | Republic of Malawi |
| Area | 118 484 sq km (Frame 2008, 712) |
| Capital | Lilongwe |
| Major cities | Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba, Karonga, Kasungu, Mangochi, Salima (Frame 2008, 712) |
| Boundaries | Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania (Landlocked) |
| Population | 15.692 million, 2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009a) |
| Natural pop growth | 2.78%, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009b) |
| Urbanisation | 18.3%, 2007 est (UN Statistics Division undated) |
| Life expectancy | Female 53.8 yrs, male 51.8 yrs; 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009c, 2009d) |
| Infant mortality | 84 /1000, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009e) |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence | 11.9%, 15-49 yr 2007 est (UN Statistics Division 2009f) |
| Adult literacy rate | 72%; 2003-2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a) |
| Military expenditure | 1.2% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010b) |
| Health expenditure | 12.9% of GDP; 2006 (UN Statistics Division 2010f) |
| Legal system | English common law, customary law (Kapindu 2009) |
| Independence | 6 July 1964, from United Kingdom |
| GDP | US$4.269 billion, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010c) |
| GDP per capita | US$278, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2009g) |
| GDP growth rate | 9.7%, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010d) |
| Main exports | Tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, textiles and cotton (Frame 2008, 715) |
| Currency | 100 Tambala = 1 Kwacha |
| Unemployment | 1% with substantial underemployment, 2008 (AFDB/OECD 2010) |
| Inflation rate | 8.9%, 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010e) |
| External debt ratio | 19.1% of GDP, 2009 (IMF 2010, 95) |
| Roads | Total 13 283 km (12% poor), paved 3 004 km (15% poor), unpaved 10 278 km (11% poor); 2008 (World Bank 2009) |
| Rail | 1 262 km (Frame 2008, 710) |
| Airports | 5, 2 international (Lilongwe, Blantyre) (EIU 2008) |
| Ethnic groups | Main groups are the Chewa, Tumbuka, Yao and Ngoni (SADC 2007) |
| Languages | Official English, national Nyanja (Chewa), Tumbuka. Others Yao, Nyakyusa-Ngonde, Sena, Kokola, Lomwe, Ndali, Lambya (Lewis 2010) |
| Religion | Christian ±80%, Muslim ±13% (US Department of State 2010) |
References
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ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU) 2008 "Malawi risk: Infrastructure risk", http://www.eiu.com/ index.asp?layout=RKPrintVW3&article_id=843089069&printer=printer&rf=0 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.
IMF 2010 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2010/AFR/eng/pdf/sreo1010.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
KAPINDU, RE 2009 "Malawi: Legal System and Research Resources" IN GlobaLex, Hauser Global Law School Program, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Malawi.htm [opens new windom] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
LEWIS, M P (ed) 2009 "Languages of Malawi" IN Ethnologue: Languages of the World, sixteenth edition, [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=MW [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
SADC 2007 "Malawi" IN Country Profiles, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/malawi2007_08.pdf (offline 23 Nov 2010).
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UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "GDP" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.MKTP.CD [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
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UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010f "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, 19 Nov, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=health+expenditure&d=WHO&f=MEASURE_CODE%3aWHS7_143 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2010 "Malawi" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2010, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148702.htm [opens new window] (accessed 23 Nov 2010).
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