Malawi - Geography

Malawi is a long, narrow south-east African country shaped by the dramatic Rift Valley, with Lake Malawi a dominant feature. It is bordered by Mozambique to the east, south and south-west, by Zambia to the north and north-west, and by the United Republic of Tanzania to the north and north-east. There are three regions: the northern (capital Mzuzu), the central (capital Lilongwe) and the southern (capital Blantyre).

Area: 118,484 sq km

Main towns: Lilongwe (capital, pop. 683,500 in 2006), Blantyre (commercial centre, 601,400), Mzuzu (135,600), Zomba (seat of parliament, 83,600), Kasungu (45,600), Mangochi (42,400), Karonga (35,200), Salima (31,700), Nkhotakota (25,800), Nsanje (22,500), Liwonde, Mzimba, Balaka, Dedza.

Topography: Malawi’s deep Rift Valley trench is on average 80km wide. Lake Malawi occupies two-thirds of the Rift Valley floor. It feeds the Shire river, which flows south to join the Zambezi. Plateaux rise west of the trench. The northern region is mountainous, with the open Nyika Plateau, escarpments, valleys and the forested slopes of Viphya Plateau. The central region, the main agricultural area, is a plateau over 1,000m high. The southern region is low-lying apart from the 2,100m high Zomba Plateau and the 3,002m Mulanje Massif, the highest mountain in south-central Africa.

Climate: The tropical climate is tempered by altitude and cooler on the high plateaux. There are three seasons: a cool, dry season from mid-April to August; a warm, dry season from September to November; and a rainy season (receiving 90% of precipitation) from December to April. Most of the country is well watered, receiving 800–2,500mm of rain, with some areas in the high plateaux receiving 3,500mm p.a.

Environment: The most significant environmental issues are deforestation; soil degradation; and water pollution by agricultural run-off, sewage and industrial wastes.

Vegetation: The varied climate encourages a range of vegetation. Zomba Plateau, the country’s oldest forest reserve, has Mulanje cedar, cypress and Mexican pine. There is dense tropical rainforest on the lower ranges of the Mulanje Massif; higher up grow ericas, helichrysum, giant blue lobelias, species of iris, staghorn lily and (unique to Malawi) Whyte’s sunflower. Forest covers 36% of the land area, having declined at 0.9% p.a. 1990–2005. Arable land comprises 26% and permanent cropland 1.5% of the total land area.

Wildlife: Animals include leopard, hyena, jackal, hyrax, porcupine, red duiker, bushbuck, reedbuck, klipspringer, baboon, mongoose, vervet monkey, serval, civet, genet, tree frog. More than 219 bird species have been recorded, including the white-tailed crested fly catcher, fiscal shrike and wailing cisticola, and 11 species are thought to be endangered (2002). Birds of prey include the augur buzzard, the eagle owl and the long-crested eagle.

Transport: There are 28,400km of roads (19% paved) and 710km of railway. Rehabilitation of the war-damaged railway line to the Mozambican port of Nacala was completed in 1997. Plans were announced in 1999 for private-sector management of Malawi Railways, leading to eventual privatisation.

Lilongwe International Airport handles the bulk of domestic and international traffic; the second international airport is Blantyre Chileka.