Country profile: Malawi

For three decades Malawi's destiny was tied to the whims of its totalitarian president-for-life, Kamuzu Banda, who enjoyed being surrounded by dancing women and who encouraged people to betray relatives who criticised his rule.

In the mid-1990s he buckled under popular pressure to hold elections, and lost - finally giving Malawians a taste for multi-party democracy.

Overview

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His successor, Bakili Muluzi, removed many of the repressions of the Banda years, but the leadership was accused of corruption. Social problems persist, including poverty and the high rate of HIV-Aids infection.

AT-A-GLANCE Politics: Turbulent politics is said to have hampered governance. President Mutharika has taken a tough anti-corruption stance and quit his party. Vice-president Chilumpha faces treason charges Economy: More than half the population lives below the poverty line. Moves are under way to exploit uranium reserves to boost meagre export earnings International: Until January 2008, Malawi was one of only six African countries to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan rather than China Timeline

Most Malawians rely on subsistence farming, but the food supply situation is precarious and the country is prone to natural disasters of both extremes - from drought to heavy rainfalls - putting it in constant need of thousands of tonnes of food aid every year.

Malawi has been urged by world financial bodies to free up its economy. Since the mid-1990s it has privatised many loss-making state-run corporations. Its single major natural resource, agricultural land, is under severe pressure from rapid population growth.

Tens of thousands of Malawians die of Aids every year. After years of silence, the authorities spoke out about the crisis. A programme to tackle HIV-Aids was launched in 2004, with President Muluzi revealing that his brother had died from the disease.

Malawi boasts a variety of landscapes, from wetlands and lakes to mountains and forests. National parks and game reserves beckon visitors.

Facts

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• Full name: The Republic of Malawi
• Population: 13.9 million (UN, 2007)
• Capital: Lilongwe
• Area: 118,484 sq km (45,747 sq miles)
• Major languages: English, Chichewa (both official)
• Major religions: Christianity, Islam
• Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 48 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Malawi kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
• Main exports: Tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton
• GNI per capita: US $160 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .mw
• International dialling code: +265

Leaders

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President: Bingu wa Mutharika

Bingu wa Mutharika felt a backlash from his anti-graft drive

Bingu wa Mutharika, the candidate of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), was sworn in on 24 May 2004 after winning presidential elections.

Less than a year later he resigned from the UDF, accusing the party and his predecessor Bakili Muluzi of opposing his high-profile anti-corruption campaign. He formed a new grouping, the Democratic Progressive Party.

Donor countries warned in 2005 that a power struggle between the president and his predecessor was diverting the government's attention from pressing problems, including food shortages.

Mr Mutharika had been hand-picked by the outgoing President Muluzi as the UDF candidate after parliament refused to accept an amendment to the constitution allowing Mr Muluzi to stand for a third term. Perceived as a relative outsider, his nomination surprised many UDF members and led to several defections.

The run-up to the poll was overshadowed by opposition claims of irregularities. European Union and Commonweath observers said although voting passed peacefully, they were concerned about "serious inadequacies" in the poll.

Mr Mutharika is an economist and a former secretary-general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa). He has also worked for the World Bank and the UN.

Media

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Radio is the chief source of information for many Malawians. State-run MBC is the main national broadcaster. Television was introduced in 1999.

Privately-owned publications present a range of opinions, although the government has used libel and other laws to put pressure on newspaper journalists.

BBC World Service is available on FM in Blantyre (98.7), Lilongwe (98.0) and Mzuzu (87.9).

The press

• The Nation - daily
• The Daily Times - private
• Malawi News - private weekly
• Boma Lathu - monthly, Chichewa-language

Television

• Television Malawi (TVM) - state-run

Radio

• Malawi Broadcasting Corporation - state-run, operates national networks Radio One and Radio Two
• Capital Radio - privately-owned
• MIJ FM - Blantyre-based, operated by Malawi Institute of Journalism
• FM 101 - privately-owned
• Zodiac Broadcasting Station (ZBS) - privately-owned
• Radio Maria - Catholic station

News agency

• Malawi News Agency (Mana) - state-run