MalawiBy Verena Frenz and Johanna Kapapa

FactsRepublic of Malawi• Population: 13.603.181• Capital: Lilongwe

largest city: Blantyre• Languages:English (official),

Chichewa (national)• Area: 118.484 km² (20,6 % water)• Currency: Malawi-Kwacha• Religions:

– Christian 79, 9 %– Muslim 12,8 %– other 3 %– none 4, 3 %

UNITY AND FREEDOM

Flag Coat of Arms

History16th century Chewa People founded the Maravi

State1859 arrival of David Livingstone

? Scottish Presbyterian churches established missions

1891 British Central Africa Protectorate1960/62 constitutional conferences in LondonJuly 1964 Malawi became a fully independent member

oft the British CommonwealthThree decades of one-party rule under president Banda1994 Multiparty elections under a provisional

constitutionToday Bingu wa Mutharika is president (elected in May

2004)

Economy• Depends on substantial inflow of economic assistance• Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program• Predominately agricultural• Tobacco sector• Various agricultural products e.g. tobacoo, sugarcane, cotton, tea,

corn, potatoes, cattle, goats• Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement,

consumer goods• GDP: $ 8.272 billion (total) [in Germany: $ 2.632 trillion (total); ]

$ 600 (per capita) [$ 31.900 (per capita)]

• GDP-composition by sector: services agriculture industry

• Exportpartners - particularly: South Africa, Germany

Politics• Legal system: based on common law and customary law• Suffrage: 18 years of age• The President is the chief of state and the head of government• The president is elected by popular vote• No party has a majority in the fractured legislature• Judicial system: Supreme Court of Appeal

High Court magisterial lower courts

• Cabinet: members are named by the president• Unicameral National Assembly: members are elected by popular vote• Malawi is divided into three regions, which are further divided into 27

districts

• Only one Univesity in the country which has a faculty of Law

People and Problems

• High death rate• High infant mortality rate• Low life expectancy at

birth• Low median age of the

Malawian population• Low literacy• High HIV/AIDS rate• Very high risk of diseases

• Mis-use of international donations

• Insufficent nutrition• Low income• Poor access to medical

treatment• Insufficent school

education• Corruption• Government economic

restrictions

The End