Geography
Bordering countries:
Mozambique 1,569 km Tanzania 475 km Zambia 837 km

Location:
Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Area:
total: 118,480 sq km
land: 94,080 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km

Climate:
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Terrain:
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Economy
GDP:
$11.56 billion (2008 est.)
$10.85 billion (2007)
$10.05 billion (2006)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP growth rate:
6.5% (2008 est.)
8% (2007 est.)

GDP per capita:
$800 (2008 est.)
$800 (2007 est.)
$800 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Inflation rate: 
9% (2008 est.)

Currency: 
Malawian kwacha (MWK)

Exchange rates:
Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - 142.41 (2008 est.), 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004)

People
Population:
14,268,711

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

Growth rate: 2.388% (2009 est.)

Religions:
Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)

Languages:
Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)

Government
Capital:
name: Lilongwe

time difference: 
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Independence:
6 July 1964 (from the UK)