A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LANDSLIDES AND GEOHAZARD ...

CHAPTER TWO
GEOGRAPHY OF MALAWI AND THE STUDY AREAS
This Chapter describes the geography of Malawi in general and the study areas in
particular. It also provides information on physical and socio-economic characteristics,
which would help the reader to understand their contribution to either slope instability or
vulnerability of societies to landslides in the subsequent sections. The first part of the
Chapter outlines the general geography of Malawi while the second addresses the
characteristics of the study areas.
2.1 Geography of Malawi
2.1.1 Location
Malawi is situated in east-central Africa between latitudes 9 0 22’ S and 17 0 08’ S and
between longitudes 32 0 40’ E and 35 0 55’ E (GoM, 1985). It is approximately 860 km in
length from north to south, and 250 km wide at its broadest point. Malawi covers an
area of approximately 119,000km 2 . Twenty-eight percent of the land is in the North,
thirty-eight percent in the Centre and thirty- four percent in the South. Surface waters,
principally Lakes Malawi, Chilwa, and Malombe account for 24,000 km 2 . Lake Malawi is
570 km in length and up 90 km in width. Malawi is bordered on the north and northeast
by Tanzania; on the east, south and southwest by Mozambique; and on the north and
northwest by Zambia (Figures 2.1a and 2.1b; Carter and Bennet, 1973). Altitude varies
greatly from 50m above the sea level in the Lower Shire to 2,600m above sea level on
the Nyika Plateau in the North, and above 3000m above sea level on the Mulanje Peak
in the South (GoM, 1985).
2.1.2 Physiography
Malawi is a country of varied relief, ranging in altitude from a little over 30m above sea
level to the extreme south to 3000m on the Mulanje Mountains (GoM, 1985). Pike and
Rimmington (1965) have distinguished three major physiographic divisions namely, the
Shire Valley and the Lake Malawi Littoral (below about 500m); the medium plateau
areas, such as the Shire Highlands and the extensive tertiary plains of the Central Region
and the Mzimba Area, which are normally between 1,200m and 1,400m above sea
level, but which range from about 600 to 1,500m; and thirdly, the highland areas above
1,500m (Figure 2.1a; Carter and Bennet, 1973).
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