Malawi, republic in southeastern Africa, formerly the British protectorate of Nyasaland, bounded on the north by Tanzania, on the east by Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa), on the southeast and south by Mozambique, and on the west by Zambia. Malawi extends about 835 km (about 520 mi) north to south and varies in width from about 80 to 160 km (about 50 to 100 mi). The total area of the country is 118,484 sq km (45,747 sq mi), nearly one-fifth of which is water surface, mainly Lake Malawi and three smaller lakes. The capital of Malawi is Lilongwe, and the largest city is Blantyre.