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Economy Malawi

Economy - overview:

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% 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 December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Malawi will now begin a consultative process to develop a five-year program before funding can begin. 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 and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$10.51 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$3.538 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 37.8%

industry: 18.1%

services: 44.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.5 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 90%

industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

53% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.9%

highest 10%: 31.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

39 (2004)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.1% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

8.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.128 billion

expenditures: $1.185 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

50.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:

4.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.397 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 3.3%

hydro: 96.7%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

1.299 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

6,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

6,263 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$113 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$604 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Exports - partners:

South Africa 12.6%, Germany 9.7%, Egypt 9.6%, US 9.5%, Zimbabwe 8.5%, Russia 5.4%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)

Imports:

$866 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Imports - partners:

South Africa 34.1%, India 8%, Zambia 7.6%, US 6.3%, Tanzania 5.8%, Germany 4.5%, China 4.2% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$575.3 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$217 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$894 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Malawian kwacha (MWK)

Currency code:

MWK

Exchange rates:

Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Communications Malawi

Telephones - main lines in use:

102,700 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

429,300 (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: rudimentary

domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas

international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)

Radios:

2.6 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2001)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.mw

Internet hosts:

347 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

3 (2002)

Internet users:

59,700 (2006)

Transportation Malawi

Airports:

39 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 6

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 33

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 16

under 914 m: 16 (2007)

Railways:

total: 797 km

narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 15,451 km

paved: 6,956 km

unpaved: 8,495 km (2003)

Waterways:

700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Military Malawi

Military branches:

Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,050,444 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,676,117 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.3% (2006)

Transnational Issues Malawi

Disputes - international:

disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Malaysia

Introduction Malaysia

Background:

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Geography Malaysia

Location:

Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:

2 30 N, 112 30 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 329,750 sq km

land: 328,550 sq km

water: 1,200 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries:

total: 2,669 km

border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Coastline:

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

Climate:

tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Terrain:

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources:

tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use:

arable land: 5.46%

permanent crops: 17.54%

other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land:

3,650 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

580 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 9.02 cu km/yr (17%/21%/62%)

per capita: 356 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

flooding, landslides, forest fires

Environment - current issues:

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Geography - note:

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

People Malaysia

Population:

25,274,133 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31.8% (male 4,135,013/female 3,898,761)

15-64 years: 63.3% (male 8,026,755/female 7,965,332)

65 years and over: 4.9% (male 548,970/female 699,302) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 24.6 years

male: 24 years

female: 25.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.742% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

22.44 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA

note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 16.39 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 18.92 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.03 years

male: 70.32 years

female: 75.94 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

52,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

2,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Malaysian(s)

adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups:

Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)

Religions:

Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)

Languages:

Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai

note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 88.7%

male: 92%

female: 85.4% (2000 census)

Government Malaysia

Country name:

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Malaysia

local long form: none

local short form: Malaysia

former: Federation of Malaya

Government type:

constitutional monarchy

note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of Representatives; Sarawak has 31 seats

Capital:

name: Kuala Lumpur

geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E

time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions:

13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

Independence:

31 August 1957 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)