Nyasa

Nyasa is a toponym most commonly associated with Lake Malawi, a large freshwater lake in southeastern Africa that lies along the East African Rift. The lake is bordered by Malawi to the west and north, Mozambique to the east, and a small portion touches Tanzania. It is one of the African Great Lakes and is noted for its extensive biodiversity, including hundreds of species of cichlid fishes. The lake’s primary outflow is the Shire River, which eventually drains into the Zambezi Basin.

Historically, the term Nyasa was used in reference to the lake and to the surrounding region. The colonial state known as Nyasaland (1907–1964) occupied the area that later became the independent nation of Malawi. In contemporary usage, Lake Malawi is the standard name in international contexts, while Nyasa appears in older literature and in certain place names and regional references around the lake.

Beyond Lake Malawi, Nyasa may appear in historical or geographic contexts related to Malawi and the surrounding stretch of the East African Rift system. The term’s primary, enduring association remains with the lake itself and its historical colonial link to the country now known as Malawi.