Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Malawi's Natural Environment
The Land
Pint-sized Malawi is no larger than the US state of Pennsylvania. It's wedged between
Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, measuring roughly 900km long and between 80km
and 150km wide, with an area of 118,484 sq km.
Almost one-fifth of the country is covered by that great 'inland sea', Lake Malawi. Ly-
ing in a trough formed by the Rift Valley, it makes up over 75% of Malawi's eastern
boundary. A strip of low ground runs along the western lakeshore, sometimes 10km wide,
sometimes so narrow there's only room for a precipitous footpath between the lake and
the steep wall of the valley. The lakeshore is sandy in many places, with natural beaches,
particularly in the south. Beyond the lake, escarpments rise to high, rolling plateaux cov-
ering much of the country.
Malawi's main highland areas are the Nyika and Viphya Plateaux in the north and Mt
Mulanje in the south, and the country's highest point is the summit of Sapitwa (3002m) at
the centre of Mt Mulanje. There are also several isolated hills and smaller mountains dot-
ted around, the largest being the Zomba Plateau, near the town of the same name.
Malawi's main river is the Shire (pronounced
shir
-ee); it flows out of the southern end
of Lake Malawi to flow into the Zambezi River in Mozambique.
Wildlife
Animals
Until 2012 Malawi was considered a mere also-ran among other African big-game safari
destinations, but that all changed with the reintroduction of lions in Majete Wildlife
Reserve. For those less concerned with ticking off the 'Big Five' (lions, leopards, buffa-
loes, elephants and rhinos), the country has plenty to offer; in Nkhotakota Wildlife
Reserve for instance, you can now kayak past crocodiles at Tongole Wilderness Lodge.
Many people head for Liwonde National Park, noted for its herds of ele- phants and myri-
ad hippos (as well as impalas, bushbucks and kudus). Liwonde and Majete are the only
parks in the country where you might see rhinos.
Elephants are regularly seen in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Majete and Nyika Nation-
al Park, and the latter is renowned for roan antelopes and reedbucks, zebras, warthogs and
jackals. It also has the country's largest population of leopards - around 100 of them.
