Chapter 22

East Africa

The Land

East Africa is a land of high plains & plateaus North: deserts & dry grasslands Southwest: large lakes dot the plateaus East: sandy beaches and coral reefs run

along the coast Rifts: most striking feature

Long, deep valleys with mountains or plateaus on either side

The Rift Valleys

Great Rift Valley is caused by the land arching & splitting along the rift valley http://earth.imagico.de/views/eafrica_small.jpg

Great rift valley is made up of two rifts Eastern rift: begins at the Red Sea & continues through

Eritrea & Ethiopia into southern Tanzania Western rift: extends from Lake Albert to Lake Malawi

Rift walls are a series of steep cliffs Drop an average of about 9,000 feet to the valley floor

Mountains & Plains

East Africa has many volcanic mountains Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet is the

tallest Although close to the equator, snow covers

its two volcanic cones Plains along the eastern rift in Tanzania

& Kenya are home to famous national parks

Rivers & Lakes

East Africa has a number of rivers & large lakes The Nile being the largest Water from small streams collects in Lake Victoria,

the source of the White Nile Water from Ethiopia’s highlands form the Blue Nile

Two rivers meet at Khartoum, Sudan to form the Nile

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake, but it is shallow Along the western rift is a chain of great lakes Along the eastern rift lakes are heated from the

earth’s interior and make them too hot to swim in Lake Nakuru is too salty for most fish, but algae

found here provides food for more than a million flamingos

Climate & Resources Northern Sudan & northeast coast has

desert & steppe climates Changes to a tropical climate as you travel

south At rift valleys, floors are dry, grasslands with

little rain while the plateaus and mountains have a humid highland climate and dense forests, with rainfall

Most East Africans are farmers or herders Resources: coal, copper, diamonds, gold,

iron ore, & lead

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History & Culture

Section 2

Christianity & Islam

Christian missionaries from Egypt introduced Christianity A.D. 300

A.D. 500 Christianity spread into Nubia, now part of Egypt & Sudan

Arab armies conquered Egypt & North Africa by A.D. 700 Islam brought in with Arabs

The Slave Trade

Dates back 1,000 years Most slaves went to Islamic countries in Africa &

Asia Portuguese began setting up forts & settlements

on the East African coast by early 1500s By 1700s the island of Zanzibar became an

international slave trading center Plantations were later set up here to grow sugarcane

European Influence & Conflict

1800s Slavery ends

Focus shifts to trading gold, ivory, & rubber To get goods Europeans needed to dominate the

region Est. colonies to expand empires Britain & other European countries divided up most

of Africa Drew boundaries that separated ethnic groups Used imperialism in their colonies (a practice that tries to

dominate other countries’ gov’t, trade, & culture African deputies were used to control colonies & these chiefs

were loyal to their own ethnic people which often caused rivalries

Today

Gov’t trying to strengthen national id., but ethnic conflicts continue

1960s Time when most East African countries

gained independence Ethiopia was never colonized

Mountains provided protection and people resisted colonization

Culture

Greatest diversity of people & ways of life of all of Africa

Many different languages & religions

Language

European influences French & English spoken

Swahili is most widely spoken African language

Religion

Important aspect of culture Religions vary, but same importance

placed on honoring ancestors Animists

Natural world contains spirits Christianity practiced Islam practiced

Section 3

East Africa Today

Tanzania & KenyaEconomies based on tourism & agriculture

among poorest countries in the world Economy & Resources Tourism important

Go on safari of numerous national parks Tanzania rich in gold & diamonds

Mainly subsistence farmers Poor soil & limited technology restrict productivity

Kenya land set aside as national parkland People would like to farm land, but it would affect wildlife &

hurt tourism industry Agriculture on slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Produce coffee & tea Geothermal energy also part of economy

Cities

Similar to cities in U.S. Businesspeople hurrying to work, outdoor

markets, soaring skyscrapers, parks Terrorist attacks have taken place in

cities in Kenya & Tanzania

Rwanda & Burundi Two ethnic groups

Tutsi & Hutu Violence between the groups

1990s genocide (intentional destruction of a people)

Densely populated countries Bother former German colonies Lack resources & rely on coffee & tea

Sudan & Uganda

Sudan Is Largest African country Mainly an agricultural country, but also developing some of its

mineral resources Arab Muslims make up 40% of population & have political power Religious conflicts between Muslims & Christians

Recently Genocide in Darfur (10 of thousands of black Sudanese are being killed by an Arab militia group, millions more have fled the region)

Uganda Recovering from decades of military dictatorship Site of an ancient empire Economic progress has been slow Rely on agriculture

The Horn of Africa

Ethiopia Never under foreign rule

Due to mts. Volcanic mts. have very fertile soil

Agriculture main part of economy Many herd sheep & cattle

Serious droughts over last 30 years Christians live in highland regions while

Muslims live in lowlands

Eritrea Once Italian colony & then Ethiopian

province 1993 after years of war Eritrea broke away

Located on the Red Sea Economy has slowly improved Tourists visit coral reefs of region People are mostly farmers & herders Export mainly cotton

Somalia Land of deserts & dry savannas Most are nomadic herders Less diverse

Most are members of single ethnic group Most are Muslim Livestock & bananas are main exports Troubled by civil war Often had no central gov’t

Clans have fought over grazing rights & control over cities

Djibouti Small desert country Lies on the Bab al-Mandab

Narrow strait that connects the Red Sea & Indian Ocean Lies along major shipping route, which has helped this

countries economy 1860s came under French control 1977 gained independence

French still contribute economic & military support Port serves as a major source of income People include the Issa & Afar

Issa tied to the people of Somalia Afar are related to the people of Ethiopia Both groups are Muslim

1990s civil broke out between two groups 2001 peace treaty signed