Important Countries to know

The landscape of East Africa is varied and a home to diverse wildlife. Rift valleys cut from north to south across the region. Rift walls are often steep cliffs that can rise as much as 6,000 feet. The Great Rift Valley is made up of two rifts.

East Africa has many volcanic mountains. The tallest of these is Mount Kilimanjaro. Although the mountain is located near the equator, its peak is covered with ice and snow. Another area of high elevation is the Ethiopian Highlands.

Some areas of East Africa are flat plains. The Serengeti Plain in Tanzania is one of the largest. Many kinds of wildlife live here, including elephants, giraffes, lions, and zebras. Tanzania established much of the plain as a national park.

A number of rivers and lakes are found in East Africa. The Nile is the world’s longest river. It begins in East Africa. Then it flows north to the Mediterranean Sea. The source of the White Nile is Lake Victoria. The Blue Nile begins in the Ethiopian Highlands. Both rivers meet in Sudan to form the Nile.

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake, but many lakes also lie along the rift valleys. Some of these lakes are extremely hot or salty.

East Africa has a variety of climate and vegetation. Latitude and elevation affect climate. For example, areas near the equator receive heavy rains. Farther from the equator, the weather is drier. When little rain falls, droughts can occur. During a drought, crops fail, cattle die, and people begin to starve. There have been severe droughts in East Africa.

The climate south of the equator is tropical savanna. In savannas, plants include tall grasses and scattered trees. The rift floors have grasslands and thorn shrubs.

Plateaus and mountains are found north of the equator. They have a highland climate and thick forests. The highlands receive a lot of rainfall. The mild climate makes farming possible. Many people live in the highlands. Forests are found at higher elevations.

East of the highlands and on the Indian Ocean coast, the elevation is lower. Desert and semi-arid climates are found here. Vegetation is limited to shrubs and grasses.

Most of Southern Africa lies on a large plateau. The steep face at the edge of a plateau or other raised area is called an escarpment. In eastern South Africa, part of the escarpment is made up of a mountain range called the Drakensberg. Farther north, the Inyanga Mountains separate Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Many large rivers cross Southern Africa’s plains. The Okavango flows from Angola into a huge basin in Botswana. The Orange River passes through the Augrabies Falls and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Climate and Vegetation

Southern Africa’s climates change from east to west. The east coast of the island of Madagascar is the wettest place in the region. In contrast to the eastern part of Africa, the west is very dry. Deserts along the Atlantic coast give way to plains with semi-arid climates. Much of Southern Africa is covered by a large savanna region. On this grassland plain, shrubs and short trees grow. These grassland areas are known as the veld in South Africa.

The Namib Desert on the Atlantic Coast is the driest area in the region. The Kalahari Desert covers most of Botswana. Here, ancient streams have drained into low, flan areas also known as pans. On these pans, a glittering white layer forms when the streams dry up and leave minerals behind.

While the mainland is mostly dry, Madagascar has lush vegetation and tropical forests. As you read earlier in the packet, Madagascar is home to many animals, such as lemurs. These animals cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, rain forest destruction has endangered many of Madagascar’s animals.

Resources

Rich in natural resources, Southern Africa has useful rivers, forests, and minerals. Its rivers provide a source of hydroelectric power and irrigation for farming. Forests are a source of timber. Mineral resources include gold, diamonds, platinum, copper, uranium, coal, and iron ore. Mining is very important to Southern Africa’s economy. However, mining can also be harmful to the surrounding environment.