Malawi, Lake

Lake, bordered by Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique, formed in a southern section of the Great Rift Valley. It is about 500 m/1,650 ft above sea level and 560 km/350 mi long, with an area of 28,749 sq km/11,100 sq mi and a depth of 700 m/2,296 ft, making it the ninth biggest lake in the world. It is intermittently drained to the south by the River Shire into the Zambezi. The lake is rich in a great variety of fish and this has helped its neighbouring areas, especially in Malawi, to become densely populated.