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 .
4-760: 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 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
8-744: The Southern Region of Malawi on the west bank of the Shire River . It is the administrative capital of the Chikwawa District . Chikwawa lies almost 50 kilometres (30 mi) south of Blantyre , the commercial capital of Malawi. Chikwawa, then known as Chibisa's village, was the first town in Malawi to be seen by European explorers, when visited in March 1859 by David Livingstone 's second Zambesi expedition . Their way upstream
12-527: 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 a river in Mozambique is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chikwawa Chikwawa is a town with a population of 6,114 according to the 2018 census located in
16-592: Was blocked by the Kapachira Falls , and they returned in August for land exploration which reached Lake Malawi on 18 September. The surrounding region was ravaged by Portuguese slave traders in the nineteenth century. The Majete Wildlife Reserve , the Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve and Lengwe National Park lie in the vicinity of Chikwawa. Large numbers of hippopotamus and crocodiles inhabit
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