OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Malawi
Geography Area: 118,484 sq. km. (45,747 sq. mi.); land the size of Pennsylvania, with a lake the size of Vermont. Cities: Capital–Lilongwe. Other cities–Blantyre (the commercial capital), Zomba, Mzuzu. Terrain: Plateaus, highlands, and valleys. Lake Malawi (formerly referred to as Lake Nyasa) comprises about 20% of total area. Climate: Predominately subtropical.
People Nationality: Noun and adjective–Malawian(s). Population (2007 est.): 13,603,181 (approximate figure for 2007 from National Statistics Office estimates). Annual growth rate (2006): 3.3%. 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), regional dialects, i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao, Chilomwe. Education: Years compulsory–none. Enrollment (2004)–primary, 82%. Literacy (2004 est., age 15 and older)–64%. Health: Infant mortality rate (2004)–76 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (at birth, 2005 est.)–40 yrs.
Government Type: Multi-party democracy. Independence: July 6, 1964. Constitution: May 18, 1995. Branches: Executive–president (the president is both chief of state and head of government), first and second vice presidents, cabinet. Legislative–unicameral National Assembly (193 members). Although the Malawian constitution provides for a Senate, in practice the legislative branch’s upper house does not exist. Judicial–High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, subordinate Magistrate Courts. Administrative subdivisions: 28 districts. Political parties: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, ruling party) United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), New Republican Party (NRP), National Democratic Alliance (NDA), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), People’s Transformation Party (PETRA), and Congress for National Unity (CONU). MCP and UDF are the two main opposition parties in parliament. Suffrage: Universal at 18 years of age. Central government budget–2007/2008 budget is $1.2418 billion (MK 176.34 billion).
Economy GDP (2006 est.): $2.2 billion. Annual real GDP growth rate (2006): 7.9%; (2007 est.) 7.4%. Per capita GNI (2008 est.): Approx. $289.50. Avg. inflation rate (2005): 15.4%; (2006): 11%; (2007): 7%. Natural resources: Limestone, uranium (potential), coal, bauxite, phosphates, graphite, granite, black granite, vermilite, aquamarine, tourmaline, rubies, sapphires, rare earths. Agriculture (approx. 34.7% of GDP): Products–tobacco, sugar, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, coffee, rice, groundnuts. Arable land–34%, of which 86% is cultivated. Industry (19.4% of GDP): Types–tea, tobacco, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods. Trade (2005 est.): Exports–$578 million: tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts, wood products. Partners–U.S., U.K., South Africa, Germany, Japan. Imports–$1.066 billion: food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment. Partners–South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, U.S., U.K., Germany. Fiscal year: July 1-June 30.

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PARIS: U.S. Senator John McCain said Friday that any breach of passport privacy deserves an apology and a “full investigation.”
McCain's comments came as the U.S. State Department said that the passport files of McCain and two other presidential candidates — Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton — have been breached.
Reporters asked McCain about the breach of Obama's passport details after he met Friday with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. It was unclear whether McCain was aware that his own passport files had also been breached, as the U.S. State Department confirmed.
“If anyone's privacy is breached, then they deserve an apology and a full investigation and I believe this will take place,” said McCain.
“The United States of America values everyone's privacy and corrective action should be taken,” he said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the individual who accessed Obama's files also reviewed McCain's file. The employee has been reprimanded, but not fired, McCormack said.
“We are reviewing our options with that person” and the contract employee's employment status, McCormack said.

iht.com