Malawi

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
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	590 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	17.3 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 1.01 cu km/yr (15%/5%/80%) per capita: 78 cu m/yr (2000)
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; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth