Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi in Malawi is a must visit spot for the tourists who come here in Malawi. It is declared as the third largest lake in Africa. In fact, one fifth of the total land area of Malawi is occupied by this lake. The lake stretches over an area as long as three hundred and sixty five meters from north to south and it is fifty two miles wide. The lake is also known as the "calendar lake". Though the lake is so big in size, there is only one river that runs from here. The river is called the "Shire" or "Shiray". The Lake Malawi, Malawi is to the south of the Great African Rift Valley. It is also the ninth largest lake in the world. Except Malawi, there are two other countries surrounding this lake. They are Mozambique and Tanzania. The lake was visited by the famous Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone. The lake, therefore, is also known as the "Livingstone's Lake".

As mentioned before, David Livingstone was the first among the Europeans who visited this lake. He first came here in the year of 1859 and he gave referred the lake as "Lake Nyassa". A large piece of land surrounding the lake was primarily considered for a new British colony and the name suggested for the colony was "Nyasaland". But later on, that surrounding area went under the control of the Portuguese colonialists. During most times of the year, Lake Malawi of Malawi looks calm and the tranquil. But the lake transforms into a tumultuous body of water when strong winds from north to south starts blowing. Lake Malawi plays a major role in the country's economy as it is used for harvesting fishes.

There are also long golden sand shores where the visitors often take a walk and lose themselves in the beauty of nature.