title: List of protected areas of Malawi
text: # List of protected areas of Malawi
  
  There are nine national parks and reserves in Malawi.
  
  ## National parks
  
  * Kasungu National Park — situated approximately 165 km north of the capital city, Lilongwe, this is, at over 2,000 $km^2,$ the second largest of Malawi's parks
  * Lake Malawi National Park — designated a National Park in 1980 to protect the unique diversity of tropical fish living in Lake Malawi, some not found anywhere else on earth
  * Lengwe National Park — most famed for the nyala antelope, not found in the other northern parks of Malawi
  * Liwonde National Park — situated 120 km north of Blantyre, on the banks of the Upper Shire River
  * Nyika National Park — the first (certified in 1965), the largest (over 3,000 $km^2)$ and the highest (average height 1,800 m)
  
  ## Game and wildlife reserves
  
  * Majete Wildlife Reserve — in the southwest of Malawi, with an area of 691 $km^2$
  * Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve — the smallest of the parks, at 350 $km^2,$ Mwabvi was adopted by Project African Wilderness in 2007 (PAW is a charitable organisation based in Malawi and the UK)
  * Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve — the oldest and largest established reserve in Malawi
  * Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve — southwest of the Nyika Plateau, to the north of the South Rukuru River, Vwaza Marsh covers an area of 1,000 $km^2$
  
  ## Other protected areas
  
  * Lake Chilwa - Ramsar wetland of international importance
  
  ## Forest reserves
  
  Malawi has a system of forest reserves, the first of which were established over a century ago. Grazing and cultivation have encroached on many forest reserves, and many reserve forests have been replaced with exotic plantation trees including pine and eucalyptus.
  
  ### Northern Region
  
  * Bunganya Forest Reserve 34.7 $km^2$ est. 1973
  * Chikhang’ombe Forest Reserve 5921 ha. est. 2002
  * Chisasira Forest Reserve 3447 ha. est. 1973
  * Jembya Forest Reserve 13,764 ha. est. 1981
  * Kalwe Forest Reserve 159 ha. est. 1956
  * Kamphoyo Forest Reserve 635 ha.
  * Kaning’ina Forest Reserve 14,007 ha. est. 1935
  * Kawiya Forest Reserve 643.9 ha.
  * Kuwirwe Forest Reserve 661.5 ha. est. 1935
  * Litchenya Forest Reserve 316 ha. est. 1948
  * Lunyangwa Forest Reserve 374 ha. est. 1935
  * Mafinga Hills Forest Reserve 4734 ha. est. 1976
  * Mahowe Forest Reserve 59.168 $km^2$ est. 2002
  * Matipa Forest Reserve 1055 ha. est. 1948
  * Mkuwazi Forest Reserve 1608 ha. est. 1927
  * Mtangatanga Forest Reserve 8099 ha. est. 1935
  * Mughese Forest Reserve 771 ha. est. 1948
  * Musisi Forest Reserve 7034 ha. est. 1948
  * North Karonga Escarpment Forest Reserve 7907 ha. est. 2002
  * Perekezi Forest Reserve 14,482 ha. est. 1935
  * Ruvuo Forest Reserve 4792.9 ha. est. 1935
  * South Karonga Escarpment Forest Reserve 13,050 ha. est. 2002
  * South Viphya Forest Reserve (Chikangawa Forest Reserve) 157,728 ha. est. 1958
  * Uzumara Forest Reserve 754 ha. est. 1948
  * Vinthukutu Forest Reserve 1957 ha. est. 1948
  * Wilindi Forest Reserve 937 ha. est. 1948
  
  ### Central Region
  
  * Bunda Forest Reserve 426 ha, est. 1948
  * Chimaliro Forest Reserve 15,205 ha, est. 1926
  * Chilobwe Forest Reserve 1314 ha, est. 1960
  * Chongoni Forest Reserve 12,353 ha, est. 1924
  * Dedza Mountain Forest Reserve 2917 ha, est. 1926
  * Dedza-Salima Escarpment Forest Reserve 30,965 ha, est. 1974
  * Dowa Hills Forest Reserve 3142 ha, est. 1974
  * Dwambazi Forest Reserve, 7886.27 $km^2$
  * Dzalanyama Forest Reserve 98,827 ha, est. 1922
  * Dzenza Forest Reserve 779 ha, est. 1948
  * Dzonzi Forest Reserve 4494 ha, est. 1924
  * Kongwe Forest Reserve 1948 ha, est. 1926
  * Mchinji Forest Reserve 20,885 ha, est. 1924
  * Msitowalengwe Forest Reserve 98 ha, est. 1974
  * Mua-Livulezi Forest Reserve 12,673 ha, est. 1924
  * Mua-Tsanya Forest Reserve 933 ha, est. 1924
  * Mvai Forest Reserve 4140 ha, est. 1924
  * Ngala Forest Reserve 2272 ha, est. 1958
  * North Senga Forest Reserve 1207 ha, est. 1958
  * Ntchisi Mountain Forest Reserve 8758 ha, est. 1924
  * South Senga Forest Reserve 532 ha, est. 1958
  * Thuma Forest Reserve 15,767 ha, est. 1956
  
  ### Southern Region
  
  * Amalika Forest Reserve 370 ha, est. 1959
  * Chigumula Forest Reserve 525 ha, est. 1925
  * Chiradzulu Forest Reserve 774 ha, est. 1924
  * Kalulu Hills Forest Reserve 2892 ha, est. 1958
  * Liwonde Forest Reserve 27,407 ha, est. 1924
  * Malabvi Forest Reserve 300 ha, est. 1927
  * Mangochi Forest Reserve 40,853 ha, est. 1924
  * Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve 501 ha, est. 1980
  * Masambanjati Forest Reserve 93 ha, est. 1974
  * Masenjere Forest Reserve 276 ha, est. 1930
  * Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve (Milange-Michesi) 56,314 ha, est. 1927
  * Michiru Forest Reserve 3004 ha, est. 1970
  * Milare Forest Reserve 59 ha, est. 1949
  * Mudi Forest Reserve 39 ha, est. 1922
  * Namizimu Forest Reserve 88,966 ha, est. 1924
  * Ndirande Forest Reserve 1433 ha, est. 1922
  * Soche Forest Reserve 388 ha, est. 1922
  * Thambani Forest Reserve 4680 ha, est. 1927
  * Thuchila Forest Reserve 1843 ha, est. 1925
  * Thyolo Mountain Forest Reserve 1347 ha, est. 1924
  * Matandwe Forest Reserve 31,053 ha, est. 1931
  * Tsamba Forest Reserve 32.37 $km^2,$ est. 1928
  * Thyolomwani Forest Reserve 965 ha, est. 1930
  * Zomba-Malosa Forest Reserve 19,018 ha, est. 1913
  