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Malawi - Geography

Malawi is situated in southeastern Africa. Malawi is a long, narrow country situated in the southern part of the East African Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley traverses the country from north to south. In this deep trough lies Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa, comprising about 20% of Malawi's area.

The country is divided administratively into three regions: Southern – hilly, densely populated, Central – fertile, well-populated plains, Northern – mountainous and sparsely populated. The main commercial and industrial city of Blantyre is in the Southern Region, the capital city of Lilongwe is in the Central Region and Mzuzu serves as the administrative and commercial headquarters of the Northern Region.

The Shire River flows from the south end of the lake and joins the Zambezi River 400 kilometers (250 mi.) farther south in Mozambique. East and west of the Rift Valley, the land forms high plateaus, generally between 900 and 1,200 meters (3,000-4,000 ft.) above sea level. In the north, the Nyika Uplands rise as high as 2,600 meters (8,500 ft.); south of the lake lie the Shire Highlands, with an elevation of 600-1,600 meters (2,000-5,000 ft.), rising to Mts. Zomba and Mulanje, 2,130 and 3,048 meters (7,000 and 10,000 ft.). In the extreme south, the elevation is only 60-90 meters (200-300 ft.) above sea level.

Malawi is a narrow country that hugs the western shore of Lake Malawi (sometimes referred to as Lake Nyasa). At places, its land area is barely 50 miles wide. Malawi shares borders with Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. The terrain varies widely and includes grassy slopes, rolling hills, striking rock outcroppings, and dense forests.

Much of the land surface of Malawi is a large plateau that is between 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. Elevations rise over 8,000 feet in the Nyika Plateau in the north. In the regions of Mt. Mulanje elevation is about 10,000 feet, and at Mt. Zomba 7,000 feet. The Shire highlands in the south are the lowest area in the country with elevations extending from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. In the north are rugged highlands that contain rolling hills in the Nyika and Vwanza plateaus, while in the southern part of the country the landscape forms part of the Great African Rift Valley.

Malawi’s altitude varies from less than 200 feet above sea level at Nsanje in the south to almost 10,000 feet at the peak of Mount Mulanje. Lake Malawi, about 1,500 feet above sea level and 380 miles long, is Africa’s third largest lake and Malawi’s major tourist attraction. Imagine a lake that is larger than the state of New Hampshire! Malawi has rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season is from December to April, with the heaviest rainfall between December and March.