Historically, East Africa was known for
the extensive trade networks that penetrated the region and linked together people of various backgrounds
, reaching deep into the interior of Central Africa and eastward across ocean as far as India.
What makes East Africa unique?
Shaped
by global plate tectonic forces
that have created the East African Rift, East Africa is the site of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, the two tallest peaks in Africa. It also includes the world's second largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria, and the world's second deepest lake, Lake Tanganyika.
What is the main feature of East Africa?
Key Takeaways
The physical geography of East Africa is dominated by
the Great Rift Valley
, which extends through the middle of the region from north to south. Associated with the rift valleys are vast savannas such as the Serengeti Plain, large lakes, high mountains, and the highlands of Ethiopia.
What represents East Africa?
eastern Africa, part of sub-Saharan Africa comprising two traditionally recognized regions: East Africa, made up of
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
; and the Horn of Africa, made up of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
What is the most known country in East Africa?
Rank Country Population | 1 Burundi 11,530,580 | 2 Comoros 850,890 | 3 Djibouti 973,560 | 4 Eritrea 3,213,970 |
---|
Which African country is richest?
Characteristic Wealth in billion U.S. dollars | South Africa 604 | Egypt 282 | Nigeria 207 | Morocco 111 |
---|
What is the religion in East Africa?
The majority of Africans are adherents of
Christianity or Islam
. African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions.
What is the most important geographical feature in East Africa?
The physical geography of East Africa is dominated by
the Great Rift Valley
, which extends through the middle of the region from north to south. Associated with the rift valleys are vast savannas such as the Serengeti Plain, large lakes, high mountains, and the highlands of Ethiopia.
Where are the wettest areas of East Africa?
The heavy rains during the period of April 11-20 were ranked among the wettest on the 40-year record in several areas:
central Kenya
; central Ethiopia; the Mandera triangle area of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia; parts of coastal Kenya and Tanzania; and parts of central and western Yemen.
What is the largest climatic feature in Africa?
The Sahara Desert in
North Africa is the largest hot desert in the world and is one of the hottest, driest and sunniest places on Earth.
What is the language of East Africa?
Swahili
is a mixture of Arabic and local languages of east African coastal tribes. The language developed before Africa's colonial era, when Arab traders camped on east African coasts and interacted with local people. In Tanzania and Kenya the language is taught in schools.
What cultures have influenced life in East Africa?
The Portuguese, Germans, French, British and Italians
all controlled large portions of East Africa during the colonial period; all of these countries influenced the local culture significantly.
Did you know facts about East Africa?
East Africa is home to
4 of the 5 fastest land animals
; the cheetah, the wildebeest, the lion and the Thomson's gazelle. The none African top 5 fastest land animal is the Pronghorn which is native to North America. 4. The Kanga is a large cotton cloth worn by both men and women across East and Central Africa.
Which is the smallest country in East Africa?
1) Seychelles (451 km2) – The Smallest Country in Africa
The Republic of Seychelles
is a country approximately 1500km off the coast of East Africa. It is the smallest African nation. The nation comprises of an archipelago containing 115 islands.
How many countries make up East Africa today?
The UN subregion of East Africa consists of
20 countries
in the eastern part of the continent. These countries include some of the poorest nations in the world situated in the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes regions.
Which country in East Africa has the smallest population?
Seychelles
. The Seychelles, which consists of an archipelago of tiny islands east of the African mainland and northwest of the African island of Madagascar, is the least populous country in Africa. Just 97,630 people live in the country.