lake fed and drained by the Shire River in southern Malaŵi. It lies in a broken depression running northwest from Lake Chilwa to Lake Nyasa (Nyasa, Lake), parallel to the Shire Rift Valley. The lake is fed by the Shire River 12 miles (19 km) below its efflux from Lake Nyasa and drains through that river's exit from Lake Malombe's southern shore. Malombe covers an area of 162 square miles (420 square km) and has a depth of 6–8 feet (2–2.5 m). Rice and corn (maize) are grown along the lake's marshy shores during the dry season, and commercial fishing is economically important.