Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly Nyasaland)
Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as amended January 1974
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
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Hastings
Kamuzu BANDA (since 6 July 1966; sworn in as President for Life 6 July
1971)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Malawi Congress Party
(MCP), Maxwell PASHANE, administrative secretary; John TEMBO, treasurer
general; top party position of secretary general vacant since 1983
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President--President BANDA sworn in as President for Life on
6 July 1971;
National Assembly--last held 27-28 May 1987 (next to be held
by May 1992);
results--MCP is the only party;
seats--(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at
2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
797-1007;
US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city
development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016,
Lilongwe); telephone 265 730-166
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green
with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to
the flag of Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms
superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
ECONOMY
Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's
least developed with a per capita GDP of $175. The economy is
predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free
enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in
rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export
revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved
significantly in 1988-90 as a result of good weather and a broadly based
economic adjustment effort by the government. The economy depends on
substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank,
and individual donor nations. The closure of traditional trade routes
through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops--tobacco,
sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops--potatoes, cassava,
sorghum, pulses; livestock--cattle and goats
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $2.0 billion
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 789 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone,
gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth
Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota--all on Lake
Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 48 total, 46 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay
links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones; stations--8
AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Note: a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique
on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa
because of insurgent activity and damage to rail lines
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment),
Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary
Malawi Young Pioneers
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,960,082; 995,864 fit for
military service
Defense expenditures: $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.)
