Geography of Malawi

Long to cast your eyes upon tranquil, teal lakes and experience a sub-tropical climate?  Come…travel with me across the Atlantic Ocean to the Warm Heart of Africa, Malawi.  Located in Southern Africa, east of Zambia and northwest of Mozambique, Malawi is situated at a latitude of 13 30 S and a longitude of 34 00 E.[1]  Approximately 17,377,468 people live in the 45,747 square miles that is Malawi.  Comparatively, the country is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania.[2] 

Although it is a landlocked country, Malawi is known for its beautiful lakes, including Lake Malawi which takes up nearly one third of the country and was once called the “Lake of the Stars” by David Livingstone, the famed Scottish explorer.[3]  The lake is 360 miles long and 52 miles wide, and is often called the "calendar lake”.[4]  The lake is bordered by plateaus with rolling plains, hills, and mountains such as the Milanje which boasts a 3,000 m summit.[5]

  

In colonial times, the territory was ruled by the British, and was known as British Central Africa.  Later it was called Nyasaland until the country achieved independence in 1964 when it came to be known as Malawi.[6]

Positioned in central Malawi, the nation’s capital, Lilongwe, is positioned at 13 58 S and longitude 33 46 E and boasts the title of the second largest city in the country.[7]  Blantyre, the largest city in Malawi is an ideally located commercial city which experiences some tourism through nearby Lake Malawi.[8] 

Some of Malawi’s top exports are tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, and Macadamia Nut Cattle and have helped with the country’s short term growth.  The country has several natural resources such as hydropower, limestone, uranium deposits, bauxite, and coal.[9]  Unfortunately, rapid population growth, government corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS has posed significant problems for Malawi.[10] Additionally, Malawi has experienced a shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports, and fuel shortages that have begun to hinder transportation and productivity.[11]

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1  “Malawi”, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html

2  “Malawi”, africa.com/malawifacts

3  “10 Fun Facts about Malawi”, http://www.10-facts-about.com/Malawi/id/872

4  “Malawi Facts and Information”, http://goafrica.about.com/od/malawi/a/Malawi-Facts-And-Information.htm

5  “Malawi”, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html

6  “Malawi”,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malawi

7  “Malawi”, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html
8  “Malawi’s Top Attractions”, http://goafrica.about.com/od/malawi/tp/Malawis-Top-Attractions.htm
9  “Malawi”, http://www.africa.com/malawi/facts/
10  “Malawi”, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mi.html
11  “Malawi Facts and Information”, http://goafrica.about.com/od/malawi/a/Malawi-Facts-And-Information.htm