Lake Malawi, MALAWI
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the ninth largest lake in the world and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. The existence of the lake was reported by a Portuguese explorer, Caspar Boccaro, in 1616. David Livingstone, the British explorer-missionary, reached it from the south in 1859 - that's about a century and a half years ago.
The lake has more tropical fish than any lake in the world - 1,300 species - and the freshwater diving is great. In Malawi a portion of the lake is included in the Lake Malawi National Park. The lake is about 350 kilometers (220 mi) southeast of Lake Tanganyika, another of the great lakes of the East African Rift.
The bio-diversity has been recognized by UNESCO, which has made Lake Malawi National Park, the world’s first freshwater park, a World Heritage Site.
Although totally landlocked, Malawi is not denied its “inland sea”. This vast body of freshwater fringed by beaches of golden sand is not only a scenic wonderland but it provides water sport opportunities for those looking for something beyond sun, sand and swimming. Its approximate dimensions are 365 miles north to south and 52 miles broad, hence the sobriquet: the calendar lake. The Lake, in the north, is quite extraordinarily deep: 2300 ft or 700 m, plunging well below sea level. This earns the Lake the second deepest lake in Africa. This reflects the enormity of the natural faulting of the Great Rift Valley, which is the origin of the Lake. The width of the lake’s shorelines vary from nothing to over 25 kilometres (16 miles), the edge of the Rift Valley rising steeply in places and more gently in others.
The lake has shorelines on western Mozambique, eastern Malawi, and southern Tanzania. The largest river flowing into it is the Ruhuhu River, and there is an outlet at its southern end, the Shire River, a tributary that flows into the very large Zambezi River in Mozambique. The lake’s middle line and its northern and eastern shores form much of Malawi’s boundary with Tanzania and Mozambique. The surface of the lake is 1,550 feet (472 metres) above sea level, and the depth increases to 2,310 feet (704 metres) toward the northern end, where the forested Livingstone Mountains to the east and the Nyika Plateau and Viphya Mountains to the west fall precipitously down to the lakeshore.
Because of its rich fish harvest, the Lake plays an important part in the economy. Fishing villages are scattered along the shore and the traditional industry and practices are an attraction to visitors. Access to the Lake is possible along much of its length but it should be noted that it is usually necessary to take a short detour off the main roads in order to reach the beach. Despite the attraction the Lake has to settlement, there are long stretches of totally uninhabited golden sand lakeshore, lapped by crystal clear waters. Kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and water skiing are just some of the lake activities available to visitors. Journeys by lake range from the famous motor vessel the Ilala to sailing in an ocean-going yacht. Cruises into the upper reaches of the great Shire river are also possible.
Located at the southern end of Lake Malawi is the National Park which includes 16 separate components - four shoreline areas and 12 islands of varying size, together with the lake waters within 100m of the shore.
Photo Credits: Malawi Tourism, Google
Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, Malawi Tourism, UNESCO
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