east africa. landforms great rift valley rift valley: places on earth’s surface where the crust...
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East Africa
Landforms Great Rift Valley
Rift Valley: Places on Earth’s surface where the crust stretches until it breaks
Mountains, plateaus, volcanoes lay along these rifts
Kilimanjaro: most famous of the rift’s volcanoes Highest mountain in Africa
Lake Victoria: World’s second largest lake Source of the Nile: Ethiopia (Blue) and Lake
Victoria (White)
Great Rift Valley
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Lake Victoria
ClimatesClose to the equator
Periods of wet and dryKenya and Uganda – spring-like
climates Farther from the equator – more
droughts Northern Sudan = Sahara Weather is unpredictable
Effects of Droughts/Rain Droughts
Grass dies cattle die Cattle die people who depend on livestock
begin to starve people move to areas with vegetation
Result: Overgrazing and desertification Too much rain
Locust populations increase Grasshoppers eat trees/plants Result: Animals and people starve
Serengeti Plain Plains area in Eastern Africa
that has an abundance of wildlife
Tsetse Fly: kills livestock because it carries sleeping sickness (also can infect humans)
Result: Few humans or livestock and an abundance of native animals
Annual migration
Natural Resources Not rich in energy or mineral
resources Sudan began producing oil
recently Soil is not very productive Scenery = best natural
resource Wildlife viewing, tours, etc
History Earliest human remains found in East Africa Greatest Kingdom in ancient times was the Kush
Built pyramids Modern day Sudan Conquered by the Askum (who adopted Christianity)
Arab Traders Established ports along the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa
about 1,500 years ago to trade gold/ivory from interior Europeans
Drew boundaries without thought to ethnic groups or enemy groups
Ethiopia remained free Grew cash groups (coffee, cotton, tea) Established cities
Independence: During the 50s and 60s (Djibouti 1977; Eretria broke off from Ethiopia in 1993)
Culture Several hundred ethnic groups
Divided by language – 3 main groups Arab traditions are seen along the coast Religious diversity: Islam (Arab traders),
Christianity, Traditional beliefs Traditional African beliefs systems
Honor ancestors Spirits of ancestors are strong forces in daily life
Word contains spirits (in animals, mountains, trees, etc.)
Injera
Economic Activity Farming and herding are the backbone
of the economies in Eastern Africa All countries have developing
economies Raw materials are the biggest export Most economies are market
Ethiopia attempted a command economy, but it failed
Import many manufactured goods Kenya has the highest GDP in the region Tourism has potential, but violence has
hurt the industry
Challenges Population growth
Poverty Not enough food Lack of health services Lack of education opportunities
Ethnic conflict Struggles over land and fair distribution of
government aid and jobs
Rwanda Genocide is the
intentional destruction of a people
1994 Majority Hutu tried to
wipe out the minority Tutsi
Somalia
Problems in Somalia are not a result of ethnic conflict
Country often has no central government of any kind Since 1991
Tried to take over land in Ethiopia
Ghosts of Rwanda: Hutus v. Tutsis Two very similar ethnic groups
Speak the same language Live in same area Follow same traditions
Hutus: Ethnic majority in Rwanda Tutsis: Ethnic minority in Rwanda
Taller and Thinner Origins might be in Ethiopia
Ghosts of Rwanda Belgian Rule
Said the Tutsis were superior All people had to wear ethnic identify cards
Revolution in 1959 Resentment by Hutus against Tutsi rule 20,000 Tutsis were killed Many fled to neighboring countries
(Uganda) Independence in 1962
Hutus took control of government Tutsis were portrayed as cause of all
problems
Ghosts of Rwanda Vocab UN = United Nations
Peace keeping group formed after WWII International Red Cross
Humanitarian Institute (centered in Switzerland) Protect victims of international and internal
armed conflicts International Declaration of Human Rights
Adopted by UN in 1948 Goal was to protect human rights (rights to
which all humans are inherently entitled) Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)
Tutsi refugees in Uganda Goal was to overthrow Habyarimana (president
of Rwanda in 1994) and return to their homeland