I Am Because We Are

MALAWI DETAILS

GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Malawi
Capital: Lilongwe
Independence: July 6, 1964 (from UK)
President: Bingu wa Mutharika
Government type: Multiparty democracy


PEOPLE

Nationality: Malawian
Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tombuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religions: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%
Language: Chichewa, English
Population: 13,000,000
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.5%; 15-64 years: 50.8%; 65 years and up: 2.7%
Birth rate: 43.13 births/1000 population
Death rate: 19.33 deaths/1000 population
Life expectancy: 37 years
Literacy rate: 62.7%
Total fertility rate: 5.92 children/per woman
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence: 15%
Major infectious diseases: HIV/AIDS, malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, plague, schistosomiasis


GEOGRAPHY

Location: Southern Africa, East of Zambia
Climate: sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Environment – current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish

- Source: CIA-The World Factbook