Location: | Southern Africa, east of Zambia |
| Geographic coordinates: | 13 30 S, 34 00 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 118,480 sq km
water: 24,400 sq km
land: 94,080 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: 23.38%
permanent crops: 1.49%
other: 75.13% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 280 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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