Download - GEO East Africa
East Africa
Mr. Jeremy Rinkel
Kenya
• Capital: Nairobi
• Population: 34,707,817
• Natural Resources: limestone, gypsum, wildlife
• Environmental Issues: water pollution, deforestation, poaching
Kenya
• Slightly smaller than the state of Texas
• Indian Ocean borders Kenya on the East– Coral is a hard, rocklike material made of the
skeletons of small sea animals.– Reef is a narrow ridge of coral, rock or sand
at or near the water surface
• Very popular beaches are located here
The Plains
• Vast plains cover ¾ of Kenya
• Very few people live in the plains, cattle herders and nomads move through
• The plain is home to:– Antelopes, water buffaloes, elephants– Giraffes, lions, and zebras
The Highlands
• Are made up of mostly mountains
• Home to fertile soil and 75% of the people
• The Great Rift Valley is located in Western Kenya– Fault- crack in the earth– Escarpments- steep cliffs– Mount Kenya- highest peak is 17,057 feet
The Climate
• Equator passes through the middle of Kenya
• Mostly a savanna or steppe climate
• The coast is hot and humid year around
• Mild climate and fertile soil make highlands important farming area
The Economy
• Developing economy based on free enterprise
• 50% of farm products are subsistence food crops– Corn, bananas, beans, cassava
• Cash crops are cultivated for exports– Coffee and tea are the main source for
income
Industries
• No major mineral deposits• Encourage manufacturing
– Cement, chemicals, light machinery, household appliances
• Tourism– Many tourists visit and take trips called safaris– Parks are set up to protect endangered animals– Poachers- are people who hunt & kill animals illegally
The People
• Harambee- means “pulling together”– Many different ethnic groups speak many
languages
The People
• It is a challenge to provide enough food and jobs for the people
• Over 40 different ethnic groups
• 73% live in rural villages
• 27% live in cities
• Mombasa- is an important Indian Ocean port
Tanzania
• Capital: Dar es Salaam
• Population: 37,445,392
• Natural Resources: hydropower, tin, phosphates
• Environmental issues: soil degradation, deforestation, droughts
Tanzania
• Located mostly on the mainland, but also includes several small coral islands
• Mount Kilimanjaro is the best known site
• Coastline- white beaches and palm trees
• Inland- elevation rises (humid lowlands and dry plateaus
• North- Mountainous area where Kilimanjaro is located
Tanzania
• Western Tanzania is part of the Great African Rift Valley– Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa– Lake Tanganyika- deepest point in Africa
• Unusual fish live in the deep dark water
• Wildlife (thousands of square miles set aside to protect wildlife– Serengenti National Park
• Home to lions, antelopes and zebra• During dry season, animals roam the plains in search of
water
Economy
• Is a developing economy based on agriculture
• Manufacturing is small
• Rich in mineral resources such as gold and diamonds
• Raise livestock or farm on small plots of land
Economy
• Government-run farms grow cash crops for exports– Coffee, cotton, tea, tobacco– Sisal- a plant fiber used in making rope and
twine– Cloves- a spice made from buds of clove
trees
People
• Over 120 ethnic groups live in Tanzania
• No single group controls the country
• 80% live in rural villages
Uganda
• Capital: Kampala
• Population: 28,195,754
• Natural Resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower
• Environmental issues: draining of wetlands for agriculture use, soil erosion, poaching
Uganda
• Lies in the highlands region of East Africa• North- covered by plateaus• Center- large area of marshes and lakes
– Water from Lake Victoria forms the source for the Nile River
• Southern- covered by thick forests• East and West Uganda are mountainous• Equator crosses southern Uganda• Temperatures are mild due to the elevation
Economy
• Agriculture is the most important economic activity
• Most productive areas lie along the West and North of Lake Victoria– Coffee is the largest export– Cotton, sugarcane, and tea are valuable
exports
People
• 2/3 of the people live in the fertile south
• Home to more than 20 ethnic groups– Autonomy- self-government
• Won independence from the British
Rwanda
• Capital: Kigali
• Population: 8,648,248
• Natural Resources: gold, tin ore, methane
• Environmental issues: deforestation, soil erosion/exhaustion
Rwanda
• Located south of the equator
• High altitudes provide a mild climate
• Lie on ridge that separates the Nile and Congo River watersheds– An area drained by a river
Rwanda
• Most people are farmers
• Fishing is also important to the economy along the lakes
• Very few valuable minerals
• Very few paved roads
• Most exports are transported by boats on Lake Tanganyinka
Rwanda
• Smallest and most crowded nations in Africa• Majority of the population belong to two ethnic
groups– Hutus and Tutsis
• Civil War- fighting within a country– 1994- fighting broke out between Hutus & Tutsis– Refugees- are people who must flee his orher home
and seek safety elsewhere– 2 million moved to surrounding countries
Burundi
• Capital: Bujumbura
• Population: 8,090,068
• Natural Resources: nickel, uranium, copper
• Environmental issues: overgrazing, habitat loss
Burundi
• Landlocked
• Very mountainous
• Akanuaru and Kagera rivers separate Burundi from Rwanda
Section 4
The Horn of Africa
Sudan
• Capital: Khartoum
• Population: 41,236,378
• Natural resources: iron ore, copper, petroleum
• Environmental Issues: excessive hunting, periodic drought, desertification
Sudan
• Largest country in Africa
• 1/3 the size of the United States
• North- mostly desert made up of bare rocks and sand dunes– 2 branches of the Nile River meet
• South-humid tropical rainforests and swamps
• One of the leading producers of cotton
People
• North- 2/3 are Muslim Arabs
• South- various ethnic groups- Christian and African groups
• Has been torn by Civil War
• Drought- an extended dry period– Since the early 1990s, created a lot of
suffering
Ethiopia
• Capital: Addis Ababa
• Population: 74,777,981
• Natural Resources: gold, platinum, copper
• Environmental issues: deforestation
Ethiopia
• Landlocked mountainous country
• Mild temperatures and fertile soil on plateaus for farming
• Home to deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls
• Most live on the high plateaus
People
• One of the world’s oldest countries
• Mountains kept it isolated and independent for years
• Struggling to build a democracy
• 16% live in urban areas
• Over 70 different languages are spoken
Eritrea
• Capital: Asmara
• Population: 4,786,994
• Natural Resources: gold, zinc, fish
• Environmental issues: soil erosion, loss of infrastructure due to civil war, deforestation
Eritrea
• Won independence from Ethiopia in 1993
• Lies on the Red Sea
• One of the hottest and driest areas in Africa
• Farming is difficult due to the climate
Somalia
• Capital: Mogadishu
• Population: 8,863,338
• Natural resources: uranium, copper, natural gas
• Environmental issues: famine, overgrazing, health problems due to water
Somalia
• Very hot and dry• ½ of population is nomads• Southern- rivers provide water for irrigation
– Sugarcane and citrus fruits
• Most Somalis speak either Somali or Arabic– Clans- groups of people related to one
another• Disagreements have led to civil war
Somalia
• Droughts and famine starved thousands to death– Fierce fighting kept the food from getting to
the people who need it most
Djibouti
• Capital: Djibouti
• Population: 486,530
• Natural Resources: geothermal areas, gold, limestone
• Environmental issues: inadequate water, limited arable land, endangered species
Djibouti
• Mostly Muslims and nomads
• Income comes from shipping
• Farming is difficult due to the dry land
• Railroad line into Ethiopia make Djibouti an outlet for Ethiopia’s products