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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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

geo east africa

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