It is 900km (560ml) long and only between 80km (50ml) and 150km (90ml) wide. The area is a bit smaller than England. Lake Malawi (560km / 350ml long), occupies much of the country's eastern border. The eastern part of the country lies in the north-south Rift Valley, dropping in height from 500m (1600ft) above sea level at the lake to 40m (120ft) in the far south. The west has mountain ranges and high plateau areas reaching altitudes of over 1500m (5000ft).

Malawi is a sub-tropical country and has a single rainy season, which runs from November to late April and a dry season from May to October/November.

Alongside the lake and in the south of the country, maximum temperatures can reach 30+℃ and humidity is high. In the higher areas maximum temperatures are a more comfortable 25℃ and it can even be chilly at night.

The most common vegetation is brachystegia woodland, which is technically deciduous but loses it leaves only briefly in September/ October. In some areas there are also the "upside-down" baobab trees and various types of palms. Around 400 orchid species have been identified in Malawi.