The Shire / ˈ ʃ iː r eɪ / is the largest river in Malawi . It is the only outlet of Lake Malawi and flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique . Its length is 402 kilometres (250 mi). The upper Shire River issues from Lake Malawi and runs approximately 19 km (12 mi) before it enters shallow Lake Malombe . It then drains Lake Malombe and flows south through Liwonde National Park where large concentrations of hippopotamus are common along its shores. Between the towns of Matope and Chikwawa , the middle river drops approximately 400 m (1,300 ft) through a series of falls and gorges, including Kapachira Falls . Two hydroelectric dams have been built along the Shire northwest of Blantyre .
4-572: Elephant Marsh lies on the flood plain of the Lower Shire River in the African country of Malawi , between the towns of Chikwawa and Nsanje . The marsh varies in size from 150 to 450 square miles (390 to 1,170 km) depending on the flow of the Shire and Ruo rivers and has no permanent boundary. In some places, floating mats of vegetation are so thick boat travel is nearly impossible. The Ruo River,
8-626: The Elephant Marsh before reaching the confluence with the Zambezi River south of the town of Sena, Mozambique . In 1859, David Livingstone 's Second Zambezi expedition traveled up the Shire river. The river's valley is part of the East African Rift system. This article related to a river in Malawi is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to
12-521: The largest tributary of the Shire and the southeastern boundary between Malawi and Mozambique , merges with the Shire in the Elephant Marsh. The marsh was named by David Livingstone in 1859, who counted as many as 800 elephants in one sighting. Today, the elephants are largely gone, but Elephant Marsh supports a large number of aquatic birds. Crocodiles are also very common. The marsh is similar to swampy Lake Chilwa , located 200 miles (320 km) to
16-506: The north. Boat trips through Elephant Marsh can be arranged from nearby Lengwe National Park . Shire River Beyond Chikwawa , the lower river turns southeast and enters the low-lying Mozambique plain. Its largest and one of its few perennial tributaries, the Ruo River , joins the Shire near the Malawian town of Chiromo . The muddy waters pass through a large stagnant area known as
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