Geography of Malawi
Location: | Southern Africa, east of Zambia |
Geographic coordinates: | 13 30 S, 34 00 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 118,480 sq km land: 94,080 sq km water: 24,400 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Land boundaries: | total: 2,881 km border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) |
Terrain: | narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m |
Natural resources: | limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite |
Land use: | arable land: 20.68% permanent crops: 1.18% other: 78.14% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 560 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | NA |
Environment - current issues: | deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature |