Malawi: Plants and Animals

In Malawi there are two kinds of woodlands: miombo and mopane. Miombo is the most common, and grows in poor soil. The tree canopy is not thick, allowing grasses to grow beneath it. Mopane is in lowland areas where there is not much rain, such as along the the southern part of Lake Malawi and in Liwonde National Park. Grasslands are also found in Malawi, mainly in the north. Along the banks of the rivers and lakes there are wetlands with reeds and grasses.

Boabab trees are found in Malawi. This odd-looking tree has branches that look like roots. It is often called the 'upside down tree' because of that.

Boabab tree

There are many different kinds of flowers in Malawi, including more than 400 different kinds of orchid.

There is a great deal of wildlife in Malawi, and many large animals can be seen in the national parks. In Liwonde National Park there are large herds of elephants, different kinds of antelope such as nyalas, bushbucks, impalas, duikers and kudus, as well as hippopotamus and crocodiles. Occasionally, rhinoceros can be seen. There are lions in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Zebras are found at Kasungu National Park.
At Nyika National Park in the north, there are several kinds of antelope, warthogs, hyenas and leopards. 

Malawi is rich in birdlife also. There are about 530 different kinds of birds to be found in Malawi. These include the Fish Eagle and Crowned Crane.

Crowned Crane

However, Malawi is famous for its fish. There are more than 600 different fish in Lake Malawi, many of them found nowhere else. More species are being found all the time. Most of these are types of cichlid.

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Malawi (2004). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

Updated January 2004