Malawi Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Malawi?

Overview

Completely landlocked in southeast Africa, Malawi borders Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Malawi's southern tip lies 130 miles inland from the sea. 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. Malawi's topography consists of high, well-watered plateaus broken by large hills.

Malawi covers 46,066 square miles and is about the size of Pennsylvania. A deep depression, its chief physical feature, runs through the center and forms part of the Great Rift Valley. In this depression are Lake Malawi and the Shire Valley. 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. In Malawi's north and central areas are the Nyika, Vipya, and Dedza uplands, rising from 5,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. In the south, the Shire Highlands plateau averages 3,000-4,000 feet, with occasional peaks such as Zomba (7,000 feet) and Mulanje (10,000 feet).

Geography - note

landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth

Malawi Use of Natural Resources

Geographic Location	Africa
Total Area	45,747 Square Miles 118,484 Square Kilometers
Land Area	36,324 Square Miles 94,080 Square Kilometers
Water Area	9,422 Square Miles 24,404 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	1,790 Miles 2,881 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	284 Square Miles 735 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Geographic Coordinates	13 30 S, 34 00 E
Terrain	narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Highest Point	3,002 Meters
Highest Point Location	Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m
Lowest Point	37 Meters
Lowest Point Location	junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
Natural Resources	limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Time Zone	UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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