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Basic Facts |
Country name |
conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
conventional short form: Malawi local long form: Dziko la Malawi local short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland |
Gevernment type | multiparty democracy |
Capital |
name: Lilongwe
geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 44 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band |
Currency | Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
Internet country code | .mw |
Ports and terminals | Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba |
Agriculture products | tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats |
Industries | tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods |
Geography |
Location | Southern Africa, east of Zambia |
Coordinates | 13 30 S, 34 00 E |
Continent | Africa |
Area |
total: 118,480 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km water: 24,400 sq km |
Boundaries |
total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) |
Climate | sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
Terrain | narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains |
Natural resources | limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite |
Natural hazards | NA |
People |
Population | 13,013,926
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 2006 est.) |
Ethnic groups | Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European |
Religions | Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census) |
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) |