| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi local long form: Dziko la Malawi local short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland etymology: named for the East African Maravi Kingdom of the 16th century; the word "maravi" means "fire flames" | ||||
| Government type | presidential republic | ||||
| Capital | name: Lilongwe geographic coordinates: 13 58 S, 33 47 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after the Lilongwe River that flows through the city | ||||
| Administrative divisions | 28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba | ||||
| Independence | 6 July 1964 (from the UK) | ||||
| National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1964); note - also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966 | ||||
| Constitution | history: previous 1953 (preindependence), 1964, 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty and territory of the state, fundamental constitutional principles, human rights, voting rights, and the judiciary, requires majority approval in a referendum and majority approval by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2017 | ||||
| Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal | ||||
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction | ||||
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years | ||||
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | ||||
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020) cabinet: Cabinet named by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025) election results: Lazarus CHAKWERA elected president; Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 59.3%, Peter Mutharika (DPP) 39.9%, other 0.7% | ||||
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 21 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - DPP 62, MCP 55, UDF 10, PP 5, other 5, independent 55, vacant 1; composition - men 161, women 32, percent of women 16.6% | ||||
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts | ||||
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA] Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA] Peoples Party or PP [Joyce BANDA] United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI] United Transformation Movement or UTM [Saulos CHILIMA] | ||||
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ||||
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016) chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288 email address and website: malawiembassy-dc.org http://www.malawiembassy-dc.org/ | ||||
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert SCOTT (since 6 August 2019) embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3 mailing address: 2280 Lilongwe Place, Washington DC 20521-2280 telephone: [265] (0) 177-3166 FAX: [265] (0) 177-0471 email address and website: LilongweConsular@state.gov https://mw.usembassy.gov/ | ||||
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa | ||||
| National symbol(s) | lion; national colors: black, red, green | ||||
| National anthem | name: "Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi) lyrics/music: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA note: adopted 1964 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
