Which lake is shared by Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania?

The lake shared by Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania is Lake Malawi.

It is one of Africa’s Great Lakes and occupies a long rift valley in southeastern Africa. Malawi surrounds most of the lake’s western and southern shoreline, while Mozambique borders much of the east and Tanzania touches the northern portion. The lake is also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique.

Lake Malawi is exceptionally rich in fish, especially cichlids. Scientists have identified hundreds of cichlid species there, many of them found nowhere else. Its main outlet is the Shire River, which eventually joins the Zambezi system.

The lake is sometimes confused with Lake Tanganyika or Lake Victoria, which are also major African lakes but are not shared by this exact trio of countries. Lake Malawi is also notable for its great depth and for being a meromictic lake, meaning its deeper and upper waters do not fully mix.