Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi, dem sanso know as Lake Nyasa insyd Tanzania den Lago Niassa insyd Mozambique, (Swahili: Ziwa Nyasa) be an African Great Lake den de southernmost lake insyd de East African Rift system, dey locate between Malawi, Mozambique den Tanzania. E be de fourth largest freshwater lake insyd de world by volume, de ninth largest lake insyd de world by area den de third largest den second deepest lake insyd Africa. Lake Malawi be home to more species of fish dan any other lake insyd de world, wey dey include at least 700 species of cichlids. Na de Mozambique portion of de lake officially be declared a reserve by de Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011, while insyd Malawi a portion of de lake be included insyd Lake Malawi National Park. Lake Malawi be a meromictic lake, wey dey mean say ein water layers no dey mix. De permanent stratification of Lake Malawi ein water den de oxic-anoxic boundary be maintained by moderately small chemical den thermal gradients. Geography Lake Malawi be between 560 kilometres (350 mi) den 580 kilometres (360 mi) long, den about 75 kilometres (47 mi) wide at ein widest point. De lake get a total surface area of about 29,600 square kilometres (11,400 sq mi). De lake be 706 m (2,316 ft) at ein deepest point, wey locate insyd a major depression insyd de north-central part. Anoda smaller depression insyd de far north dey reach a depth of 528 m (1,732 ft). De southern half of de lake be shallower; less dan 400 m (1,300 ft) insyd de south-central part den less dan 200 m (660 ft) insyd de far south. Geological history Malawi be one of de major Rift Valley lakes den an ancient lake. De lake dey lie insyd a valley wey de opening of de East African Rift form, wer de African tectonic plate be split into two pieces. Dis be called a divergent plate tectonics boundary. Malawi typically be estimated to be 1–2 million years old (mya), buh more recent evidence points to a considerably older lake plus a basin wey start to form about 8.6 mya den deep-water condition first appear 4.5 mya. De water levels vary dramatically over time, wey dey range from almost 600 m (2,000 ft) below current level to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) above. During periods de lake dry out almost completely, wey dey leave only one anaa two relatively small, highly alkaline den saline lakes insyd what currently be Malawi ein deepest parts. A water chemistry wey dey resemble de current conditions only appear about 60,000 years ago. Major low-water periods be estimated to occur about 1.6 to 1.0–0.57 million years ago (wer e fi dry out completely), 420,000 to 250,000–110,000 years ago, about 25,000 years ago den 18,000–10,700 years ago. During de peak of de low-water period between 1390 den 1860 AD, e fi be 120–150 m (390–490 ft) below current water levels. References External links Mayall, James (December 1973). "The Malawi-Tanzania Boundary Dispute". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 11 (4): 611–628. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00008776. S2CID 154785268. Recent study on Lake Malawi water levels reveals drought 100,000 years ago "Freshwater Fish Species in Lake Malawi (Nyasa) [Southeast Africa]". Mongabay. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016. Growing up in a Border District and Resolving the Tanzania-Malawi Lake Dispute: Compromise and concessions, by Godfrey Mwakikagile, African Renaissance Press, 2022