East Africa Physical Geography

EAST AFRICA
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Countries from
East Africa:
SUDAN
ERITREA
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
UGANDA
KENYA
RWANDA
BURUNDI
TANZANIA
MAIN IDEas
1. East Africa’s physical features
range from rift valleys to plains.
Great Rift Valley
2. East Africa’s climate is influenced Ethiopia
by its location and elevation, and
the region’s vegetation includes
savannas and forests.
Serengeti Plain
Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro
Tanzania
PHYSICAL
FEATURES
Vast Plains and
Plateaus stretch
throughout the
region.
Huge Deserts and
Dry Grasslands in
the north.
Large Lakes dot the
Plateaus in the
southwest.
Sandy Beaches and
Colorful Coral
Reefs in the east.
THE RIFT VALLEYS
Rift valleys are places on Earth’s surface where the crust stretches until
it breaks.
Rift valleys form when Earth’s tectonic plates move away from each
other. This movement causes the land to arch and split along the rift
valleys. As the land splits open, volcanoes erupt and deposit layers of
rock in the region
Seen from the air, The Great Rift Valley
looks like a giant scar.
This is the largest rift on Earth. It is
located in Ethiopia.
It is made up of two rifts - the eastern rift
and the western rift.
The rift walls are usually a series of steep
cliffs. These cliffs rise as much as 6000
feet (2000 m).
MOUNTAINS AND HIGHLANDS
The landscape of East Africa has
many high volcanic mountains.
The highest mountain in Africa, Mount
Kilimanjaro, rises to 19340 feet (5895
m). It is located in Tanzania.
Despite Kilimanjaro’s location near the
equator, the mountain’s peak is
covered in snow. This much colder
climate is caused by Kilimanjaro’s high
elevation
Other areas of high elevation in East Africa

include Ethiopian Highlands.
These highlands, which lie mostly in Ethiopia,
are very rugged.
Deep river valleys cut through this landscape
PLAINS
Plains stretch along the
eastern rift in Tanzania and
Kenya.
Tanzania´s Serengeti Plain is
one of the largest plains. It is
here that an abundance of
wildlife thrives.
The plain’s grasses, trees
and water provide nutrition
for wildlife that includes
elephants, giraffes, lions, and
zebras.
To protect this wildlife,
Tanzania established a
National Park.
RIVERS AND LAKES
The world’s longest river, the Nile, begins in East Africa and flows north to
the Mediterranean Sea.
The Nile is formed by the meeting of the Blue Nile and the White Nile at
Khartoum, Sudan.
The White Nile is formed by the water that flows into Africa’s largest lake,
Lake Victoria.
The Blue Nile is formed from waters that run down from Ethiopia’s
highlands.
As the Nile meanders through Sudan, it provides a narrow, fertile lifeline to
farmers in the desert.
The region has a number of great lakes in addition to Lake Victoria. One
group of lakes forms a chain in the western rift valleys. There are also lakes
along the drier eastern rift valleys.
Near the eastern rift, heat from the Earth’s interior makes some lakes so
hot that no human can swim in them. In addition, some lakes are extremely
salty. However, some of these rift lakes provide algae for the region’s
flamingos.
CLIMATE AND VEGETATION
East Africa’s location on the equator and differences in elevation influence the
climates and types of vegetation in East Africa.
Areas near the equator receive the greatest amount of rainfall.
Areas farther from the equator are much drier and seasonal droughts are
common.
Droughts are periods when little rain falls, and crops are damaged. During a
drought crops and the grasses for cattle die and people begin to starve.
Further south of the equator the climate changes to tropical savanna. Tall grasses
and scattered trees make up the savanna landscape.
North of the equator, areas of plateaus and mountains have a highland climate
and dense forests.
Temperature in the highlands are much cooler than temperatures on the savanna.
The highlands experience heavy rainfall because of its high elevation, but the
valleys are drier. This mild climate makes farming possible. As a result, most of
the region’s population lives in the highlands.
Areas east of the highlands and on the Indian Ocean coast are at much lower
elevation. These areas have desert and steppe climate. Vegetation is limited to
shrubs and hardy grasses.
TASK 1: EAST AFRICA PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
In a line paper from your folder answer the following questions:
1. What are rift valleys?
2. Why is there snow on Mount Kilimanjaro?
3. What are some unusual characteristics of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley?
4. What is the climate of the highlands in East Africa like?
5. What are some effects of drought in the region?
6. How are the climates of some areas of East Africa affected by elevation?
7. Complete the chart with details of the following physical features:
Physical Features
Rift Valleys Mountains and Highlands Plains Rivers and Lakes

East Africa Physical Geography

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EAST AFRICA

Other areas of high elevation in East Africa

Rift Valleys Mountains and Highlands Plains Rivers and Lakes

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