Malawi Geography - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates

13 30 S, 34 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 118,484 sq km

land: 94,080 sq km

water: 24,404 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 2,857 km

border countries (3): Mozambique 1498 km, Tanzania 512 km, Zambia 847 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

highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m

mean elevation: 779 m

Natural resources

limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

Land use

agricultural land: 59.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 19.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 34% (2018 est.)

other: 6.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

740 sq km (2012)

Total renewable water resources

17.28 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Population distribution

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

flooding; droughts; earthquakes

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

NOTE: The information regarding Malawi on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Malawi 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Malawi 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.