ue to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 2,358,730; female 2,347,017) 15-64
years: 53.2% (male 2,810,478; female 2,884,601) 65 years and over: 2.8%
(male 120,761; female 180,237) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.39% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 37.13 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 23.2 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 119.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 37.15 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.04 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 15.96% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 800,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 70,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Malawian(s) adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni,
Ngonde, Asian, European

Religions: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous
beliefs 3%, other 2%

Languages: English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages
important regionally

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 58% male: 72.8% female: 43.4% (1999 est.)

Government Malawi

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional
short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland
Protectorate, Nyasaland

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital: Lilongwe

Administrative divisions: 27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa,
Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe,
Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, 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 Supr