Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa I. Land and Water Features A. Landforms 1. The Great Rift Valley is the most unusual feature of East Africa’s physical geography. a) Sometimes called the Great Rift System because it is not one valley. b) Long chain of geological faults. c) Africa used to be a part of the Arabian Peninsula, but as the two rifted apart, or separated from one another, the tear formed the Red Sea. 2. The Great Rift system’s northern end is in Jordan in Southwest Asia. a) Jordan  4,000 south  Mozambique

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa 3. The rift system has an eastern and western branch in East Africa. a) Eastern Rift Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on Earth. b) Earthquakes and volcanic activity. 4. As the eastern Rift Valley continues south from the Danakil plain, the conditions are not as severe. a) Deep valleys in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. b) The shorter western Rift Valley stretches from Lake Malawi in the south, through Uganda in the north through a series of valleys. c) Lakes Tanganyika, Edward, and Albert marks the western rift’s northward path. 5. Along the branches of the Great Rift Valley, much volcanic and seismic activity occurred. a) Largest volcanoes are along the eastern rift, Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa 6. Located on the Tanzania and Kenya border, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. 7. Sudan is home to vast plains and plateaus. a) The northern part of the country is desert covered in sand and gravel. b) Somalia lies in the eastern part of the region, along the Indian Ocean. 8. Somalia is also a very dry area. a) Deserts and savanna b) To the north of Somalia lies the small country of Djibouti located on the coast of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. c) Djibouti has rugged mountains and desert plains.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa 9. South of Sudan, at the western edge of Uganda, the Ruwenzori Mountains divide that country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. a) “Mountains of the Moon” b) Rwanda is landlocked and has hills. B. Bodies of Water 1. The largest river in the world is the Nile, 4,132 miles long. a) The Nile Basin includes parts of many countries in the East African region: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Sudan. b) Blue Nile starts in the highlands of Ethiopia and the White Nile starts at Lake Victoria.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa 2. In northern Sudan, the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet at the city of Khartoum. a) The Nile then flows northward through Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. b) Other than the Nile River, East Africa has few important rivers. 3. In the late 1970’s, the swampy part of the Nile known as the Sudd was the focus of a huge construction project called the Jonglei Canal. a) This canal was built to avoid the Sudd. b) Even though this project would have benefitted the countries of East Africa, the project was suspended in 1983 due to a civil war in Sudan. 4. Many of East Africa’s lakes are located in the Great Rift Valley.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa a) The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria in Uganda and Kenya in the north and Tanzania in the south. b) Second largest freshwater lake in the world next to Lake Superior. c) Relatively shallow with a maximum depth of 270ft. d) Home to 200 species including tilapia. 5. Another important lake in the region is Lake Tanganyika. a) Long and narrow, south of Lake Victoria between Tanzania and the DRC. b) World’s longest fresh water lake, 410 miles. c) Second deepest lake, 4710 ft. 6. Farther south is Lake Malawi.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa a) 3rd –largest lake in Africa. b) Lies largely in Malawi and forms part of the border with Tanzania and Mozambique. II. Climates of East Africa A. Temperatures 1. The diverse physical features of East African geography are matched by extremely varied climate. a) Warmer toward the coasts and cooler in the highlands. b) Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia have high temperatures for much of the year. c) Glaciers are melting off of peaks like Mt. Kilamanjaro. 2. The climate is always spring-like in the highlands of Kenya and Uganda.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa a) Kenya and Uganda display considerable variations in climate. b) Climate depends on latitude, elevation, wind patterns, and ocean currents. B. Rainfall 1. In many parts of East Africa, rainfall is seasonal. a) This is true close to the equator. b) Wet seasons alternate with dry ones like in Kenya and Tanzania. c) Long rains of April & May and the short rains of October & November. 2. Rainfall can also be unpredictable.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa a) Severe drought can produce famines especially in countries with weak governments like Somalia. 3. Another urgent issue in the region is desertification, or the process by which agriculture land is turned into desert. a) drought and unwise land use destroy vegetation. b) This has affected the Sahel, the border land between the Sahara Desert and the lands to the south. c) Sudan and South Sudan. III. Resources of East Africa A. Mineral Resources 1. Mineral resources in East Africa include small gold deposits along the rifts in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. a) sapphires and diamonds in Tanzania and tin in Rwanda.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa b) Ethiopia and Uganda produce lumber. c) Djibouti’s Lake Assal produces salt. B. Energy Resources 1. Energy resources in East Africa include coal in Tanzania, as well as petroleum in Uganda, South Sudan, & NW Kenya. a) Sudan has the opportunity to develop hydroelectric power, or the production of electricity through the use of moving water. b) Hydroelectric power is already used in Kenya and Tanzania 2. Kenya and Djibouti are favorable locations for the development of geothermal energy, the use underground heat sources to produce various forms of energy.

Ch. 20, L1 Phys. Geo. in East Africa 3. In East Africa, management of energy resources is uneven resulting in rural areas not receiving sufficient energy supplies. C. Land and Wildlife 1. East Africa’s land and wildlife are important assets. a) Agriculture is limited due to the poor soil so tourism of scenic areas like the Great Rift Valley is important. 2. East Africa is home to the greatest assemblage of wildlife in the world. a) National parks and wildlife sanctuaries. b) Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya c) The wildlife is an important source of income for the entire region.