Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI
opposition groups: Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Gwanda CHAKUAMBA
Phiri, secretary general (top party position); Alliance for Democracy
(AFORD), Chakufwa CHIHANA; Socialist League of Malawi (Lesoma), Kapote
MWAKUSULA, secretary general; Malawi Democratic Union (MDU), Harry
BWANAUSI; Congress for the Second Republic (CSR), Kanyama CHIUME;
Malawi Socialist Labor Party (MSLP), Stanford SAMBANEMANJA
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Patrick NYASULU (since 14 October 1994) chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1007
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CHAVEAS embassy: address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: [265] 783 166 FAX: [265] 780 471
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan, which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
@Malawi:Economy
Overview: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992, but the lost ground was recovered in 1993. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The new government faces strong challenges, e.g., to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, and to deal with environmental problems of deforestation and erosion.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 9.3% (1994 est.)