What Is East Africa Known For?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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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 . 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.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.