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| Geography |
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The Republic Malawi is a small, landlocked country in east Central Africa, comprising of more than 20% water and lying entirely within the tropics. It is 896 kilometres in length and varies in width from 80 to 160 kilometres and a land area of nearly 120,000 sq km. It is bordered by Mozambique on the east and southwest, by Tanzania on the north and northeast, and by Zambia on the west and northwest.
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Former Name : |
Nyasaland |
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Capital City : |
Lilongwe |
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Other main Cities : |
Blantyre (the commercial capital), Zomba, Mzuzu |
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Population : |
(2006 est.): 12.5 million. |
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Annual growth rate : |
(2006): 3.3% |
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Ethnic groups : |
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European. |
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Religions : |
Protestant - 55%
Roman Catholic - 20%
Muslim - 20%
indigenous beliefs - 3%
other - 2% |
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Languages : |
English (official), Chichewa (official), regional dialects, i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao, Chilomwe. |
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Health : |
Infant mortality rate (2004)--76 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (at birth, 2005 est.)--40 yrs. |
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Local time : |
GMT +2 |
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System : |
metric |
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Driving : |
On the left hand side of the road; you can use your country's driving license if it's issues in English; if not, an international driving license is required. |
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Electricity : |
230 Volts AC |
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International dialling code : |
+265 |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : |
$2.1 billion. |
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Currency : |
1 Malawian Kwacha (MWK) = 100 Tambala |
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Climate : |
Sub tropical: rainy season, November to May;
dry season, May to November |
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Population below the poverty line : |
54%. 85% live in rural areas; 15% in towns |
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Average annual income : |
$100-$200 per year |
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Main exports : |
Tobacco (70%), sugar and tea |
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Food Production : |
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, cattle, goats |
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Annual Harvest : |
April |
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Literacy rate : |
64.3 percent (2005 estimate) |
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Number of years of compulsory schooling : |
8 years (2001-2002) |
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Number of students per teacher, primary school : |
70 students per teacher (2002-2003) |
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Voting qualifications : |
Universal at age 18 |
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Major trade partners for exports : |
South Africa, United States, Germany, Japan, and Netherlands |
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Major trade partners for imports : |
South Africa, Zambia, India, Germany, and United States |
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