ty of the UK

Transnational Issues Montserrat

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

========================================================================

Malawi

Introduction

Malawi

Background: Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland
became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of
one-party rule, the country held multiparty elections in 1994 under
a provisional constitution, which took full effect the following
year. National multiparty elections were held again in 1999.

Geography Malawi

Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 118,480 sq km water: 24,400 sq km land: 94,080 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: sub-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: Sapitwa
(Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

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

Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 1% other: 79% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1998 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: landlocked; Lake
Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature

People Malawi

Population: 10,701,824 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality d