Administrative divisions:

28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa,
Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe),
Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata
Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo,
Zomba

Independence:

6 July 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)

Constitution:

18 May 1994

Legal system:

based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004)
cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next
to be held in May 2009)
election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of
vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 35.9%, John TEMBO 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe
CHAKUAMBA 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI 2.5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
MCP 56, UDF 49, independents 39, RP 15, others 25, vacancies 8

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the
president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the Judicial
Service Commission); magistrate's courts

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD; Congress for National Unity or
CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA];
Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party
or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or
MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC [Gwandaguluwe
CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP);
Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA];
National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National
Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; People's Progressive Movement