males age 15-49: 3,204,200 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,903,268 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 136,216 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $29 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (1994)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island,
Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all
administered by France)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild
varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point
for heroin
______________________________________________________________________

MALAWI

@Malawi:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 118,480 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to
November)

Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary
with Mozambique 37 m
highest point: Mount Mlanje Sapitwa 3,002 m

Natural resources: limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal,
and bauxite

Land use:
arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures : 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water
pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes;
siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: landlocked

@Malawi:People

Population: 9,609,081 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 46% (male 2,210,871; female 2,190,564)
15-64 years: 51% (male 2,430,178; female 2,520,608)
65 years and over: 3% (m