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 a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, culminating in Mutharika quitting the political party on whose ticket he was elected into office.

Mutharika subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and has continued with a halting anti-corruption campaign against abuses carried out under the previous regime.

Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 13,603,181 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 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.1% (male 3,143,724/female 3,130,937) 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 3,491,114/female 3,474,209) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 155,954/female 207,243) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 16.7 years male: 16.6 years female: 16.8 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.383% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 42.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 18.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.004 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.005 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.753 male(s)/female total population: 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 92.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 96.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 87.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.98 years male: 43.35 years female: 42.61 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 5.74 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 900,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 84,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian

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Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

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Religions: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)

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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)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 62.7% male: 76.1% female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and four-fifths of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces many 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, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.272 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $2.202 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 8.5% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $600 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.4% industry: 17.6% services: 47% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 4.5 million (2001 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)

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Unemployment rate: NA%

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Population below poverty line: 53% (2004)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 50.3 (1997)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.9% (2006)

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Investment (gross fixed): 9.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $818.4 million expenditures: $895.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 68.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

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Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

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Industrial production growth rate: 6.4% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 1.293 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 1.202 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 5,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$186 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $513.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

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Exports - partners: South Africa 13.4%, Germany 10.3%, Egypt 10.2%, US 10.1%, Russia 5.7%, Netherlands 4.7% (2006)

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Imports: $767.9 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

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Imports - partners: South Africa 31.6%, Zimbabwe 8.4%, India 7.4%, Zambia 7.1%, US 5.8%, Tanzania 5.3%, Germany 4.2% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $175.5 million (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $982.4 million (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $401.5 million (2001)

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Currency (code): Malawian kwacha (MWK)

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Exchange rates: Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June