File:Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia (MODIS 2018-10-18).jpg

English: On October 15, 2018, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a stunning true-color image of parts of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.

The most distinctive features of the region include the large lakes. Lake Malawi can be seen in the top center of the image. The deep, clear waters of Lake Malawi provides a home for many hundreds of fish species, most of which are endemic to the lake.

The lake is also home to a UNESCO World Heritage site, Lake Malawi National Park. According to the UNESCO website, “the property is of global importance for biodiversity conservation due particularly for its fish diversity. Lying within the Western Rift Valley, Lake Malawi is one of the deepest lakes in the world. The property is an area of exceptional natural beauty with the rugged landscapes around it contrasting with the remarkably clear waters of the lake. The property is home to many hundreds of cichlid fish, nearly all of which are endemic to Lake Malawi, and are known locally as “mbuna”. The mbuna fishes display a significant example of biological evolution. Due to the isolation of Lake Malawi from other water bodies, its fish have developed impressive adaptive radiation and speciation and are an outstanding example of the ecological processes”.

The western portion of Lake Malawi sits inside of Malawi and the lake takes up about one-third of the small country’s area. The eastern portion of the lake that is seen in this image belongs to Mozambique. Zambia sits in the northeastern section of the image. The long Lake Cahora Bassa, which stretches from east to west near the western edge of the image, is located within Mozambique.