1. 7th Grade Social Studies
Chapter 21 East Africa
7th Grade Social Studies

2. Section 1: Physical Geography
CHAPTER 21
East Africa
Section 1: Physical Geography
Section 2: East Africa’s History and Culture
Section 3: The Countries of East Africa
Section 4: The Horn of Africa

4. Section 1: Physical Geography
Great Rift Valley
Mount Kilimanjaro
Lake Victoria
White Nile
Blue Nile x x

5. Why Study East Africa?
Many Scientists believe the human species has its origins in East Africa. Some of the most important fossil remains of humans come from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania.
The U.S. imports agricultural products from the area.
The region contains wildlife not found elsewhere. This wildlife is of interest to people around the world.
Events in the region have influenced the foreign policy of the U.S., including the use of armed forces and economic aid.

6. Sec 1: Vocabulary
Rifts – long deep valleys with mountains or plateaus on either side

7. Main Ideas, sect. 1
The major landforms of East Africa include high plains, eastern and western rift, and volcanic mountains.
Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru, the White Nile, the Blue Nile, and the Nile river are located in East Africa; these rivers meet in Khartoum, Sudan.
Volcanic mountains are found in parts of East Africa because the land is splitting along the rift valleys
Ethiopia’s agriculture has suffered from 30 years of drought.

8. Physical Geography SECTION 1 EAST AFRICA Mountains and Plains
Great Rift Valley
Mount Kilimanjaro, many volcanic peaks, famous wildlife preserves
two large rifts; steep walls stretch from Tanzania to the Red Sea
EAST AFRICA
Rivers
Lakes
Nile, White Nile, Blue Nile, Ruvuma River
Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Tanganyika

9. Section 2: E. Africa’s History/ Culture
Vocabulary:
Swahili – a language that is widely spoken in East Africa

10. Main Ideas
The countries that influenced the history of this area include Portugal, Great Britain, and Germany.
The main religions practiced in East Africa include Christianity and Islam.
Ethnic conflicts have made it difficult for East African governments to establish a sense of national identity among its citizens.
In northern East Africa, Christians and Muslims are often in conflict.

11. SECTION 2 East Africa’s History and Culture EAST AFRICA’S HISTORY
Religion
Trade
Colonization
• Arabic speaking nomads spread Islamic faith
• slaves traded to Arabia
• Great Britain
• Germany
• Portuguese start European slave trade
• Christianity from Ethiopian Kingdoms
• Italy annexed Ethiopia

12. Section 3: The Countries of E. Africa

13. Section 3: Vocabulary
Gorge – a narrow, steep-walled canyon

14. Section 3: Main Ideas
The highlands of Kenya are important because they offer good farmland, refuge for wildlife, and they are an important tourist destination.
Early East African civilizations traded gold and ivory.
Tourist attractions of East Africa include Kenya’s wildlife refuges, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti Plain, and the Olduvai Gorge.

15. The Countries of East Africa
SECTION 3
The Countries of East Africa
Physical Features
Challenges
Rwanda
violence between ethnic groups
fertile highland
Burundi
violence between Tutsi and Hutu
fertile highland
violent dictatorship, collapsed economy
Uganda
fertile plateau
Sudan
Sahara, dry savannas, the Sudd
Conflicts between Arab and traditionally African cultures

16. Kenya (20:15)

17. Section 4: The Horn of Africa
ANSWER EACH OF THESE:
How important are these camels for the Afar?
_______________________________________
What purpose do they serve?
What theme of geography do they represent?

18. Sec. 4: Main Ideas
The mountains protect Ethiopia from foreign invasion.
Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia in 1993.
Most of Europe’s East African colonies gained independence in the 1960’s.

19. Google Earth Zanzibar has the“Swalhili Coast”
Somalia is “A failed State”
Ethiopia has “The Blue Nile”

20. The Horn of Africa SECTION 4 Country Location or Physical Features
Key Characteristics
mountains and plateaus
Ethiopia
agricultural, poor, suffered droughts
independent since 1993, improving economy
Eritrea
on Red Sea
mainly herders, less diverse culture, troubled by civil war and drought
deserts and dry savannas
Somalia
independent since
1977, port provides income, depends on Ethiopian agriculture
Djibouti
on Bab al-Mandab, partly below sea level

21. Review Time A – Blue Nile B – Bab al-Mandab C – Mt. Kilimanjaro
D – Great Rift
Valley
E – Lake Victoria
F - White Nile
Let’s Play Jeopardy

22. Sec. 4: Vocabulary
droughts – periods when little rain falls and crops are damaged

23. Hotel Rawanda We will be watching the movie Hotel Rawanda
You must have the permission slip signed in order to watch the movie
If you do not have a permission slip you will do another activity
In the 1990’s, Hutu’s in Rwanda tried to destroy the Tutsi people.

24. Chapter Wrap-Up CHAPTER 24
1. What are East Africa’s main natural resources?
2. What caused the formation of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa?
3. How have Arabs, Portuguese, the British, and the Kikuyu affected Kenya?
4. What factors have slowed Tanzania’s economic growth?
5. How have droughts in the Horn of Africa affected its people and their relationship with the rest of the world?