MWK Banking
The kwacha has been the currency of Malawi since 1971. The kwacha replaced
the Malawian pound at a rate of 2 kwacha = 1 pound. The kwacha (ISO 4217: MWK)
is divided into 100 tambala.
The name kwacha derives from the Nyanja and Bemba word for "dawn" while the
name tambala translates as "cockerel" in Nyanja.
Coins
Coins were introduced in 1971 in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 tambala.
In 1986, 50 tambala and 1 kwacha coins were added. New bimetallic 5 and 10
kwacha coins were released in January 2007. All these denominations are
currently circulating.
Banknotes
In 1971, banknotes were introduced in denominations of 50 tambala, 1, 2 and
10 kwacha. 5 kwacha notes were introduced in 1973 when the 2 kwacha note was
discontinued. 20 kwacha notes were introduced in 1983. 50 tambala notes were
last issued in 1986, with the last 1 kwacha notes printed in 1988. In 1993, 50
kwacha notes were introduced, followed by 100 kwacha in 1993, 200 kwacha in 1995
and 500 kwacha in 2001.
As of 2005, the following banknote denominations of banknotes are in
circulation:
* 5 kwacha * 10 kwacha * 20 kwacha * 50 kwacha * 100 kwacha * 200 kwacha *
500 kwacha
The Republic of Malawi (IPA: [m??lɑ?wi] or [malaβi]; formerly Nyasaland) is
in southern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the
northeast and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west and is
separated from Malawi by Lake Malawi (also Lake Nyasa). The origin of the name
Malawi is unclear; it is either derived from that of southern tribes, or from
the "glitter of the sun rising across the lake" (as seen in its flag). Malawi is
a densely populated country with a democratically-elected, presidential system
of government.
History
History of Malawi
The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers.
They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations. What is now
called Malawi was the Maravi state, founded by the Chewa people in the 16th
century. The Chewa were an off-shoot of the Luba Empire. In the early to mid
19th century, they were joined by Zulu-related Ndwandwe people from KwaZulu-Natal
in South Africa, the Ngoni, under their king Zwangendaba.
The first significant Western contact was the arrival of David Livingstone along
the north shore of Lake Malawi in 1859, and subsequently Scottish Presbyterian
churches establishing missions. In 1882 a consul of the British Government was
accredited to the "Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa," and in 1891 the British
established the British Central Africa Protectorate, by 1907 the Nyasaland
Protectorate. The British remained in control during the first half of the 20th
century, and this period was marked by a number of unsuccessful attempts to
obtain independence. During the 1950s pressure for independence increased when
Nyasaland was joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953 to form the
Central African Federation. In July 1958, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda returned to
the country after a long absence. He assumed leadership of the NAC, which later
became the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). In 1959 Banda was sent to Gwelo Prison
in Southern Rhodesia (now Gweru) for his political activities but was released
in 1960 to participate in a constitutional conference in London.
On April 15, 1961 the MCP won an overwhelming victory in elections for a new
Legislative Council. In a second constitutional conference in London in November
1962, the British Government agreed to give Nyasaland self-governing status the
following year. This announcement sealed the fate of the Central African
Federation, which lost its reason for existence with an independent Nyasaland.
Banda became Prime Minister on February 1, 1963, although the British still
controlled Malawi's financial, security, and judicial systems. A new
constitution took effect in May 1963, providing for virtually complete internal
self-government. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on
December 31, 1963, and Malawi became a fully independent member of the British
Commonwealth on July 6, 1964. Two years later, Malawi became a republic with Dr.
Banda as its first President, and was declared a one-party state. In 1970 Banda
was declared President for life (Ngwazi) of the MCP, and in 1971 Banda
consolidated his power and was named President for Life of Malawi.
However, increasing domestic unrest and pressure from Malawian churches and from
the international community led to a referendum in which the Malawian people
were asked to vote for a new form of government. On June 14, 1993, the people of
Malawi voted overwhelmingly in favor of multi-party democracy. Free and fair
national elections were held on May 17, 1994, and Bakili Muluzi, leader of the
United Democratic Front (UDF), was elected President. The UDF won 82 of the 177
seats in the National Assembly and formed a coalition government with the
Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). That coalition disbanded in June 1996, but some
of its members remained in the government. Malawi's newly written constitution
(1995) eliminated special powers previously reserved for the Malawi Congress
Party. Accelerated economic liberalization and structural reform accompanied the
political transition.
Malawi saw its first transition between democratically elected presidents in May
2004, when the UDF's presidential candidate Bingu wa Mutharika defeated MCP
candidate John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba, who was backed by a grouping of
opposition parties. Through the politicking of party chairperson and former
President Bakili Muluzi, the party successfully secured a majority by forming a
"government of national unity" with several opposition parties.
[ Politics
For almost 31 years the government of Malawi and the Malawi Congress Party were
one. When Malawi was declared a republic in 1966, the country was formally
declared a one-party state. Under Banda, all citizens had to be members of the
party. This situation changed in a 1993 referendum, which instituted a
multiparty system. In the country's first democratic elections, Banda and the
MCP were defeated.
Under the 1995 constitution, the president, who is both chief of state and head
of the government, is chosen through universal direct election every five years.
The vice president is elected with the president and is currently Bingu wa
Mutharika. The president has the option of appointing a second vice president,
who must be from a different political party. The members of the presidentially
appointed cabinet can be drawn from either within or outside of the legislature.
The National Assembly has 193 seats, directly elected for a 5-year term. The
constitution also provides for a second chamber, a Senate of 80 seats, but to
date no action has been taken to create the Senate. The Senate is intended to
provide representation for traditional leaders and the different geographical
districts, as well as various special interest groups, such as women, youth, and
the disabled.
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary. Malawi's judicial
system, based on the English model, is made up of magisterial lower courts, a
High Court, and a Supreme Court of Appeal.
Local government is carried out in 28 districts within three regions
administered by regional administrators and district commissioners who are
appointed by the central government. Local elections, the first in the
multi-party era, took place in on November 21, 2000. The UDF party won 70% of
the seats in this election.
The third multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections, planned for May
18, 2004, were postponed by two days following a High Court appeal by the main
opposition Mgwirizano (Unity) coalition. The run-up to the poll was overshadowed
by opposition claims of irregularities in the voters' roll. European Union and
Commonwealth observers said although voting passed peacefully, they were
concerned about "serious inadequacies" in the poll.
[ Foreign relations
Malawi has continued the pro-Western foreign policy established by former
President Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations with principal
Western countries. Malawi's close relations with South Africa throughout the
apartheid era strained its relations with other African nations. Following the
collapse of apartheid in 1990-94, Malawi developed and currently maintains
strong diplomatic relations with all African countries.
Between 1985 and 1995 Malawi accommodated more than a million refugees from
Mozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial strain on Malawi's
government but also drew significant inflows of international assistance. The
accommodation and eventual repatriation of the Mozambicans is considered a major
success by international organizations. In 1996, Malawi received a number of
Rwandan and Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn away
refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first country of asylum." Under
this principle, refugees who requested asylum in another country first, or who
had the opportunity to do so, would not subsequently be granted asylum in
Malawi. There were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees.
Important bilateral donors, in addition to the U.S., include Canada, Germany,
Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Republic of China
(Taiwan), Flanders and the United Kingdom. Multilateral donors include the World
Bank, the IMF, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the United
Nations organizations.
Malawi is a member of the following international organizations: UN and some of
its specialized and related agencies (i.e. UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO), the
Commonwealth,IMF, World Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA),
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Berne Convention, Universal
Copyright Convention, African Union, Lome Convention, African Development Bank
(AFDB), Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Non-Aligned Movement, G-77, and the World
Health Organization (WHO).
Malawi is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral
Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article
98).
Malawi and the People's Republic of China (Chinese Mainland) established
diplomatic relations secretly on December 28, 2007. On January 14, 2008, Malawi
broke ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in public. Malawi also opened its
Diplomatic Mission in New Delhi, India and HE. Mr. Brian Granthen Bowler, as
first High Commissioner of this mission.
[ Regions and districts
M Districts of Malawi
Malawi is divided into three regions (the Northern, Central and Southern
regions), which are further divided into 28 districts, divided into 137
traditional authorities and 68 sub-chiefdoms. The districts are:
* Balaka
* Blantyre
* Chikwawa
* Chiradzulu
* Chitipa
* Dedza
* Dowa
* Karonga
* Kasungu
* Likoma
* Lilongwe
* Machinga
* Mangochi
* Mchinji
* Mulanje
* Mwanza
* Mzimba
* Neno
* Nkhata Bay
* Nkhotakota
* Nsanje
* Ntcheu
* Ntchisi
* Phalombe
* Rumphi
* Salima
* Thyolo
* Zomba
[ Geography
M Geography of Malawi
Satellite image of Malawi, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The
Map Library
Satellite image of Malawi, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The
Map Library
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, bordered by Zambia to the
northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique to the south, southwest and
southeast. The Great Rift Valley runs through the country from north to south,
and to the west of the valley lies Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa), making
up over three-quarters of Malawi's eastern boundary. Lake Malawi is sometimes
called the Calendar Lake as it is about 365 miles (587 km) long and 52 miles (84
km) wide. The Shire River flows from the south end of the lake and joins the
Zambezi River 250 miles (400 km) farther south in Mozambique. The surface of
Lake Malawi is located at 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level, with a maximum
depth of 2,300 feet (700 m), which means the lake floor is over 700 feet (210 m)
below sea level at some points. In the mountainous sections of Malawi
surrounding the Rift Valley, plateaus rise generally 3,000 to 4,000 feet (910 to
1,200 m) above sea level, although some rise as high as 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in
the north. To the south of Lake Malawi lies the Shire Highlands, gently rolling
land at approximately 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. In this area, the
Zomba and Mlanje mountain peaks rise to respective heights of 7,000 feet (2,100
m) and 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
Malawi's climate is hot in the low-lying areas in the south of the country and
temperate in the northern highlands. The altitude moderates what would be an
otherwise equatorial climate. Between November and April the temperature is warm
with equatorial rains and thunderstorms, with the storms reaching their peak
severity in late March. After March, the rainfall rapidly diminishes and from
May to September wet mists float from the highlands into the plateaus, with
almost no rainfall during these months.
Malawi's capital is Lilongwe, and its commercial center and largest city is
Blantyre with a population of over 500,000 people.
[ Economy
Malawi is a landlocked country that is among the world's least developed and
most densely populated. The economy is heavily agriculture-based, with around
85% of the population living in rural areas. More than one-third of GDP and 90%
of export revenues come from agriculture, with tobacco accounting for more than
half of export revenues and being the key to short-term growth. The economy of
Malawi is dependant on substantial economic aid from the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund and individual nations, and in 2005 was the recipent
of over US$575 million in aid. The Malawian government faces challenges in
developing a market economy, improving environmental protection, dealing with
the rapidly growing HIV/AIDS problem, improving the education system and
satisfying its foreign donors that it is working to become financially
independent. Improved financial discipline has been seen since 2005 under the
leadership of President Mutharika and Financial Minister Gondwe.
The country has a GDP that is estimated at $3.538 billion, with a per capita GDP
of $800 and a real growth rate of 7.4% (2007 estimates). Agriculture accounts
for 37.8% of GDP, industry for 18.1% and services for the remaining 44.1% (2007
estimates). The country has a labor force of 4.5 million (2001 estimate),
composed of 90% agriculture and 10% industry and services (2003 estimate). The
inflation rate is 8.1% (2007 estimate), while 53% of the population live below
the poverty line (2004).
The main agricultural products of Malawi include tobacco, sugarcane, cotton,
tea, corn, potatoes, sorghum, cattle and goats. The main industries are tobacco,
tea and sugar processing, sawmill products, cement and consumer goods. The
industrial production growth rate is estimated at 4.4% (2007). The electricity
of the country is 96.7% hydroelectric and 3.3% fossil fuels (2001), and as of
2005, Malawi does not import or export any electricity. They are a net importer
of oil, with no production in country, and use no significant amount of natural
gas.
Malawi currently exports an estimated US$604 million in goods per year (2007),
with 53% of this being accounted for by tobacco, and the remaining goods being
mainly tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products and apparel. The main
destination locations for the country's exports are South Africa, Germany,
Egypt, Zimbabwe, the US, Russia and the Netherlands. Malawi currently imports an
estimated US$866 million in goods per year, with the main commodities being
food, petroleum products, semimanufacturers, consumer goods and transportation
equipment. The main countries that Malawi imports from are South Africa, India,
Zambia, Tanzania, the US and China.
In 2006, in response to disastrously low agricultural harvests, Malawi began a
program of fertilizer subsidies that were designed to re-energize the land and
boost crop production. It has been reported that this program, championed by the
country's president, is radically improving Malawi's agriculture, and causing
Malawi to become a net exporter of food to nearby countries.
[ Demographics
Malawi has a population of almost 14 million, with a growth rate of 2.39%,
according to 2008 estimates. Infant mortality rates are high, and life
expectancy at birth is 43.45 years. There is a high adult prevalence rate of
HIV/AIDS, with an estimated 900,000 adults (or 14.2% of the population) living
with the disease in 2003. There are approximately 84,000 deaths a year from
HIV/AIDS (2003).
There is a very high degree of risk for major infectious diseases, including
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, plague
and schistosomiasis.
Malawi's population is made up of the Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena,
Tonga, Ngoni and Ngonde native ethnic groups, as well as populations of Asians
and Europeans. According to a 1998 census, almost 80% of the population is
Christian, almost 13% are Muslim, and the rest are either other religious groups
or of no religion. Languages spoken include Chichewa, an official language
spoken by over 57% of the population, Chinyanja (12.8%), Chiyao (10.1%),
Chitumbuka (9.5%) and other native languages.
Culture
The Malawian flag is made up of three equal horizontal stripes of black, red and
green with a red rising sun superimposed in the center of the black stripe. The
black stripe represents the African people, the red represents the blood of
martyrs for African freedom, green represents Malawi's ever-green nature and the
rising sun represents the dawn of freedom and hope for Africa
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