Malawi has a land area of 94,000 square kilometers and
asserts sovereignty over about 24,500 square kilometers of
lakes and river. About the same size as Pennsylvania.
Measure
|
2003
|
2007
|
2011
|
Population
|
11,651,239
|
13,603,181
|
15,879,252
|
Infant mortality
|
10.515%
|
9.21%
|
8.104%
|
life expectancy
|
37.98
|
42.98
|
51.7
|
Adults with AIDS
|
15%
|
14.2%
|
11%
|
HIV+ Adults
|
850,000
|
900,000
|
920,000
|
Malaria cases
|
2,853,317
|
|
|
Doctors working
|
189
|
|
|
Literacy
|
62.7%
|
62.7%
|
62.7%
|
GDP per capita
|
670
|
600
|
800
|
Poverty
|
54%
|
53%
|
53%
|
Inflation rate
|
27.4
|
13.9%
|
8%
|
Unemployment
|
52%
|
51%
|
51%
|
Government revenues
|
$490 M
|
$818 M
|
$1735 M
|
Government expenses
|
$523 M
|
$896 M
|
$1769 M
|
Exports
|
$435 M
|
$513 M
|
$1189 M
|
Imports
|
$505 M
|
$768 M
|
$1675 M
|
External debt
|
$2900 M
|
$982 M
|
$1213 M
|
Foreign reserves
|
0
|
$176 M
|
$301 M
|
Currency rate/US$
|
76.69
|
135.96
|
151.65
|
Economic aid
|
$540 M
|
$402 M
|
|
Internet users
|
35,000
|
52,500
|
716,400
|
Cell phones
|
49,000
|
429,300
|
2,400,000
|
Ranked chess players
|
none
|
none
|
none
|
|
Primary exports are tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton and peanuts.
Primary imports are food, petroleum and vehicles.
Almost all electricity is produced by hydropower.
One hardly need be
chess grandmaster
Ahmed Adly, owner of
the highest FIDE
ranking in Egypt and
on the African
continent, to evaluate
Malawi's position as
unfavorable. In chess,
one can lose on time,
be checkmated or even
resign, and still live to
fight another day. It is
not clear Malawi can
even manage a draw
against AIDS, but it
ought to be obvious
that Malawi needs
precise counting, one
hallmark of
grandmaster chess, as
well as to avoid, at all
costs, un-civil war and
riots. We wish GM Adly
and GM Essam El
Gindy as well as IMs
Medji Kaabi, Robert
Gwaze, Hatim Ibrahim
and H.R. Steel, well in
the World Cup
tournament next
month.