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Chapter 21 East Africa. The Great Rift Valley. Great Rift Valley. Great Rift Valley. A rift valley is a crack in the Earth’s surface and is a defining feature of the East African landscape. The Great Rift Valley is made up of two branches.
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Great Rift Valley • A rift valley is a crack in the Earth’s surface and is a defining feature of the East African landscape. • The Great Rift Valley is made up of two branches. • The Western Rift Valley cuts through Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. • The Western Rift Valley is where Lake Tanganyika is found, which is one of the longest and deepest freshwater lakes in the world. • The Eastern Rift Valley cuts through Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia. • The Eastern Rift Valley has Africa’s two major mountains: Kilimanjaro and Kenya.
4,000 miles long • The Great Rift Valley is rich in minerals and metals • Good soil for farming • Because of volcanic ash there are well preserved bones and the world’s oldest human fossils have been found there
Volcanoes Near rift valleys Eastern Congo Mt. Kenya Mt. Kilimanjaro…
Mountains • Sub-Saharan Africa does not have large mountain ranges, but there are several tall mountains that are volcanoes. • In East Africa, the mountains are found in the Eastern Highlands, part of the Ethiopian Plateau.
Mount Kilimanjaro • Africa’s most recognized feature • Tallest mountain in Africa • Famous snow cap is disappearing (Will be gone in a few years)
Ruwenzori Mountains • This is another mountain range found in East Africa. • It divides Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • This mountain range is covered with snow and cloaked in clouds. • It’s nickname is the “Mountains of the Moon.”
Rift Valleys Often have long, narrow lakes
Lake Victoria • Africa’s largest lake by area • largest tropical lake in the world • world's second largest freshwater lake by surface area • Africa's largest inland fishery
Lake Victoria • It is located along the borders of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya between the Eastern and Western Rift Valleys. • It was formed over 10,000 years ago. • Lake Victoria lies at the headwaters of the White Nile River. • It is a shallow lake with a depth of only 270 feet. • Has provided means of transportation between Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania with ferry ports in each country. • It is nearly twice the size of Lake Tanganyika.
Lake Tanganyika • Is found in the Western Rift Valley. • It is one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the world. • It is located between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • Both Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika are surrounded by rich soil and are known for abundant fishing. • These characteristics have resulted in the area around both lakes to be heavily populated.
Lake Turkana • It is found in Kenya along the northern border in Ethiopia. • It is a source of growing wind-power and hydroelectric industries in Kenya. • Lake Turkana has rocky shores in the east and south due to volcanic outcrops. • It lies in a part of the Eastern Rift Valley that get little rain, so it is surrounded by desert. • The lake had once been part of a larger lake, but due to desertification, it has shrunk. • In the west and north, the lake is marked by sand dunes, sandpits, and mudflats.
Continent of Plateaus • Africa as a continent is often described as “One Big Plateau” • Coastal plains go 20 miles inland. • The it is plateau after plateau & in between there are escarpments. • The East African plateaus range in elevation from 500 feet to 8,000 feet or more. • Escarpments- steep cliffs or slopes • Due to the plateaus and escarpments of East Africa, their rivers are known to have many cataracts (rapids) and large waterfalls.
Plateau’s Impact on Rivers • Depth varies depending on the season-if it’s the rainy season or the dry season • Plateaus prevent easy navigation due to water falls. • Therefore, the interior of Africa remained largely unexplored
Ethiopian Plateau • A rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia • Sometimes called the “Roof of Africa” • Includes gorges, river channels, and AMBAS, steep-sided flat-topped lands. • Contain grasslands, woodlands and desert areas
Ethiopian Highlands • Canyons carved by water
Highland’s Climate • Moderate climate with comfortable temperatures and adequate rainfall. • Good for farming. • Lower temperatures than savanna due to the high elevation. • So snow is common at the higher elevations. • Has green farmlands and protected forests.
Savanna • Tropical grasslands with scattered trees. • Rainfall is seasonal alternating between rainy and dry seasons. • The wettest areas are closest to the equator---there are six months of almost daily rainfall followed by six months of dry seasons. • The annual rainfall is about 35 to 45 inches. • This area is found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. • The soil is the savanna is not very fertile.
Tropical Wet & Dry Climate: The African Savanna • The savanna is the largest climate zone in Africa covering over ½ of the continent • Unpredictable rainfall can lead to drought (long periods with little or no rain)
Serengeti Plain • One of the world’s largest savanna plains • There are three types of grasses found here: short, medium, and tall. • These grasslands make up a suitable home for millions of animals like zebras, gazelles, hyenas, lions, giraffes, and cheetahs.
Serengeti Plains • hosts the largest mammal migration in the world • contains several national parks and game reserves • diverse species due to diverse habitats ranging from riverine forests, swamps, grasslands and woodlands
Savanna • Today, the plains boast a wide range of cultures, from Maasai nomads to Kikuyu farmers and Dorobo hunter-gatherers. • For thousands of years, the region's rhythm of life remained unchanged. • But now, sporadic droughts, soil erosion and overgrazing are tiring the land out, while demands on it from impoverished human populations continue to grow.
Savanna • Maasai • Nomadic Herding of Cattle
Modern Maasai • Reduced territory, less grazing land • Conflict with farmers • > sedentism, = poor diet • Access to seasonal wetlands • Have to migrate with cattle • Politically marginalized • Forced to adopt non-pastoralist economic activities
Natural Resources • Tanzania: major gold and natural gas deposits, diamonds, and tanzanite • Ethiopia: gold • Uganda: copper • Kenya: minerals like soda ash used for glassmaking and agriculture • Burundi: agriculture and known for its coffee • Rwanda: agriculture and natural gas • Tourism: waterfalls like Victoria Falls, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, going on a safari in the savanna