East Africa

The region is home to the Serengeti Plain, as well as Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Great Rift Valley. This region includes, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, has a strikingly diverse landscape. A significant part of the landscape of East Africa is the Great Rift Valley. This long geologic feature begins well north of the sub region in Syria in Southwest Asia, and it extends south of the sub region to Mozambique in the southeastern part of Africa. A rift valley is a crack in Earth’s surface formed by shifting and separating tectonic plates. The formation of the Great Rift Valley began millions of years ago when faults, or breaks in Earth’s crust, were formed by the movement of plates below Earth’s surface. Landforms of East Africa

The Western Rift Valley cuts through Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. Running the length of the rift, through the center of the Western Rift Valley, is Lake Tanganyika, one of the deepest and longest freshwater lakes in the world. The Eastern Rift Valley cuts through Tanzania and Kenya and north into Ethiopia. It is flanked in the east by two major volcanic mountains, Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Landforms of East Africa

Lake Victoria is the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. It is located along the borders of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, between the eastern and western branches of the Great Rift Valley. It was formed over 100,000 years ago when the flow of water was shifted through changes in the western rift. Landforms of East Africa

Climates, Biomes, and Resources East Africa covers a wide range of latitudes and elevations, resulting in a diverse set of climates and biomes. Tropical heat much of the covers most of the sub region, with savanna vegetation predominant. North of the savanna is the semi-arid steppe. North of the semi- arid steppe is the arid desert. Finally, the high mountains of the sub region have warm, humid subtropical climates. Hot, dry weather prevails in the desert areas of East Africa. Some areas receive only limited summer rain. Parts of Kenya may receive almost no rain.

The northeastern area of the sub region, known as the Horn of Africa, is largely desert. Located in the Horn of Africa are parts of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda. Horn of Africa

On the Serengeti Plain, one of the world’s largest savanna plains, there are three types of grasses: short, medium, and tall. These grasslands make this area a suitable home for millions of animals such as zebras, gazelles, hyenas, lions, giraffes, and cheetahs. The mid-latitude climate zone is found in the highlands of Ethiopia and western Tanzania. The highland areas enjoy a moderate climate with comfortable temperatures and adequate rainfall for farming. Temperatures are somewhat lower, snow is not uncommon at high elevations, and there is plenty of vegetation. The highland areas, with green farmlands and protected forests, can seem almost lush. Biomes

History and Government East Africa contains fossils of pre-humans that date back millions of years. Archaeologists have uncovered such fossils that are more than 3.2 million years old in the Awash River Valley in Ethiopia. East Africa’s location, with borders on the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, has made trade important. People living along the Red Sea coast near the Arabian Peninsula have had trade relationships with Arabian, Asian, and Mediterranean peoples. This contact resulted in a culturally and genetically diverse population. People from southern Arabian kingdoms invaded and absorbed Eritrea in 1000 B.C., establishing the Kingdom of Axum. Traders from the Arabian Peninsula established colonies along the coast of East Africa in the A.D. 700s, bringing with them the Arabic language and the Islamic religion. They also started the slave trade.

European Colonization Vasco da Gama’s voyage around the Cape of Good Hope in the late 1400s began the Portuguese exploration of the East African coast. The Portuguese established control over the Indian Ocean and brought Roman Catholicism to Ethiopia. Portuguese dominance led to the decline of Arab influence there, as well as to hostility toward foreign Christians and Europeans that lasted into the 1900s. New medicines were discovered to treat tropical diseases and reduce health risks. Interior Africa gradually opened to immigrants from Europe and Asia who settled the region in the 1800s. A famous European explorer was a British doctor and missionary David Livingstone. One of his goals was to end the slave trade, but he also called for Europeans to spread commerce, Christianity, and their civilization throughout Africa.

Britain, France, Portugal, and Germany and Italy colonized East Africa. They competed to expand their empires and to protect their trade routes. Following 1880, Africa was divided into more than 40 colonial divisions with borders that ignored traditional tribal territories. The British took control of Kenya and Uganda, while the Germans took control of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. New colonial economies focused on cash crops, such as coffee and tea, for export to world markets and ignored the crops relied upon by the people. Colonialism created enormous problems for Africa’s peoples. Some Africans attempted to resist colonial rule. Most, however, failed. Independence movements began to change the geopolitics of Africa in the 1950s. The colonies began winning self-government. European powers granted a large number of colonies their independence in the 1960s. Newly independent countries faced internal strife and leadership issues. European powers

Conflict also arose between several African countries because of the location of national borders and control of natural resources. Governments collapsed and periods of military rule followed. Famine and drought further weakened some of the newly independent countries. In Rwanda and Burundi, the colonial powers had favored the Tutsi people and had given them positions of power over the majority Hutu. In 1959, the resentment among the Hutus sparked a violent rebellion. Conflict between the two peoples continued for decades. The country erupted in violence over the discrimination against Hutus in In this violent outbreak, called the Rwanda genocide, the Hutus killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsi people.

Population of East Africa With many different indigenous peoples and so many peoples coming to East Africa over the centuries, the population of the sub region is diverse. With many different indigenous peoples and so many peoples coming to East Africa over the centuries, the population of the sub region is diverse. East Africa’s population today reflects the many languages, belief systems, and ways of life that originated here and that have been introduced into this sub region. For example, European and Arab influences are everywhere. East Africa’s population today reflects the many languages, belief systems, and ways of life that originated here and that have been introduced into this sub region. For example, European and Arab influences are everywhere. One ethnic group forms the majority of the population. For example, the Bantu are in the majority in Uganda and Tanzania. One ethnic group forms the majority of the population. For example, the Bantu are in the majority in Uganda and Tanzania. In Rwanda and Burundi, the Hutu are the majority. In contrast, Ethiopia has more than ten distinct ethnic groups. In Rwanda and Burundi, the Hutu are the majority. In contrast, Ethiopia has more than ten distinct ethnic groups.

There are hundreds of indigenous languages spoken in East Africa. Due to European colonization English and French often serve as a lingua franca, or common language. Arab settlers brought their language, Arabic, to East Africa, and it is a secondary language in the region. Some indigenous languages have incorporated European, Arabic, and other elements and are widely spoken. An example is Swahili in Kenya and Tanzania. Swahili combines elements from local Bantu languages, Arabic, Persian, Portuguese, Hindi, and English. It has tens of millions of speakers in East Africa and other areas as well. Languages of East Africa

Poor nutrition, famine, overpopulation, and the inability to treat common diseases are persistent issues for people in East Africa. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a disease caused by the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) has reached epidemic proportions. In Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, more than 5 percent of adults, the majority of them women, are infected with HIV. Access to health care, inadequate medical facilities, and a shortage of medical personnel and supplies in many East African countries remain a persistent challenge. Health Care in East Africa

Housing varies greatly between urban and rural areas. In urban areas, most people live in high-rise apartment buildings with modern conveniences. In rural areas, many people live in thatched-roof dwellings with few, if any, conveniences. Daily Living in East Africa

Economic Activities The majority of jobs in East Africa are in agriculture. In Rwanda and Burundi, agriculture is 90 percent of total employment. Most of the farming in East Africa is done for export. Cash crops—particularly coffee, tea, spices, and cashews are sold to other countries. Cash crops have created food-supply issues in East Africa. Drought and rapid population growth have made this problem more urgent. Even in countries practicing subsistence farming, food is often in short supply. Tourism in East Africa is an important part of the economy, particularly ecotourism, or tourism based on concern for the environment. Kenya’s ecotourism revolves around its many game reserves. In countries like Tanzania, where Kilimanjaro is located, as well as in reserves like the Serengeti National Park and other conservation areas, ecotourism is growing. From 2001 and 2006, trade between Africa and China increased from about $10 billion to about $55 billion.