ational Assembly:
elections last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held NA); seats - (177
total) UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55, others 5
Judicial branch:
High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili MULUZI
opposition groups:
Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Gwanda CHAKUAMBA Phiri, secretary general
(top party position); Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Chakufwa
CHIHANA; Socialist League of Malawi (Lesoma), Kapote MWAKUSULA,
secretary general; Malawi Democratic Union (MDU), Harry BWANAUSI;
Congress for the Second Republic (CSR), Kanyama CHIUME; Malawi
Socialist Labor Party (MSLP), Stanford SAMBANEMANJA
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA
chancery:
2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 797-1007
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael T. F. PISTOR
embassy:
address NA, in new capital city development area in Lilongwe
mailing address:
P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
telephone:
[265] 783-166
FAX:
[265] 780-471
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a
radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the
flag of Afghanistan, which is longer and has the national coat of arms
superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands

@Malawi, Economy

Overview:
Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries.
The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the
population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP
and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance,
economic growth improved significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good
weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the
government. Drought cut overall output sharply in 1992. The economy
depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF,
the World Bank, and individual donor nations.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent $6 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-8% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$600 (1993 est.)