chapter 22 sections 1-3
TRANSCRIPT
The Land
East Africa is a land of high plains & plateaus North: deserts & dry grasslands Southwest: large lakes dot the plateaus East: sandy beaches and coral reefs run
along the coast Rifts: most striking feature
Long, deep valleys with mountains or plateaus on either side
The Rift Valleys
Great Rift Valley is caused by the land arching & splitting along the rift valley http://earth.imagico.de/views/eafrica_small.jpg
Great rift valley is made up of two rifts Eastern rift: begins at the Red Sea & continues through
Eritrea & Ethiopia into southern Tanzania Western rift: extends from Lake Albert to Lake Malawi
Rift walls are a series of steep cliffs Drop an average of about 9,000 feet to the valley floor
Mountains & Plains
East Africa has many volcanic mountains Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet is the
tallest Although close to the equator, snow covers
its two volcanic cones Plains along the eastern rift in Tanzania
& Kenya are home to famous national parks
Rivers & Lakes
East Africa has a number of rivers & large lakes The Nile being the largest Water from small streams collects in Lake Victoria,
the source of the White Nile Water from Ethiopia’s highlands form the Blue Nile
Two rivers meet at Khartoum, Sudan to form the Nile
Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake, but it is shallow Along the western rift is a chain of great lakes Along the eastern rift lakes are heated from the
earth’s interior and make them too hot to swim in Lake Nakuru is too salty for most fish, but algae
found here provides food for more than a million flamingos
Climate & Resources Northern Sudan & northeast coast has
desert & steppe climates Changes to a tropical climate as you travel
south At rift valleys, floors are dry, grasslands with
little rain while the plateaus and mountains have a humid highland climate and dense forests, with rainfall
Most East Africans are farmers or herders Resources: coal, copper, diamonds, gold,
iron ore, & lead
Christianity & Islam
Christian missionaries from Egypt introduced Christianity A.D. 300
A.D. 500 Christianity spread into Nubia, now part of Egypt & Sudan
Arab armies conquered Egypt & North Africa by A.D. 700 Islam brought in with Arabs
The Slave Trade
Dates back 1,000 years Most slaves went to Islamic countries in Africa &
Asia Portuguese began setting up forts & settlements
on the East African coast by early 1500s By 1700s the island of Zanzibar became an
international slave trading center Plantations were later set up here to grow sugarcane
European Influence & Conflict
1800s Slavery ends
Focus shifts to trading gold, ivory, & rubber To get goods Europeans needed to dominate the
region Est. colonies to expand empires Britain & other European countries divided up most
of Africa Drew boundaries that separated ethnic groups Used imperialism in their colonies (a practice that tries to
dominate other countries’ gov’t, trade, & culture African deputies were used to control colonies & these chiefs
were loyal to their own ethnic people which often caused rivalries
Today
Gov’t trying to strengthen national id., but ethnic conflicts continue
1960s Time when most East African countries
gained independence Ethiopia was never colonized
Mountains provided protection and people resisted colonization
Culture
Greatest diversity of people & ways of life of all of Africa
Many different languages & religions
Religion
Important aspect of culture Religions vary, but same importance
placed on honoring ancestors Animists
Natural world contains spirits Christianity practiced Islam practiced
Tanzania & KenyaEconomies based on tourism & agriculture
among poorest countries in the world Economy & Resources Tourism important
Go on safari of numerous national parks Tanzania rich in gold & diamonds
Mainly subsistence farmers Poor soil & limited technology restrict productivity
Kenya land set aside as national parkland People would like to farm land, but it would affect wildlife &
hurt tourism industry Agriculture on slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro
Produce coffee & tea Geothermal energy also part of economy
Cities
Similar to cities in U.S. Businesspeople hurrying to work, outdoor
markets, soaring skyscrapers, parks Terrorist attacks have taken place in
cities in Kenya & Tanzania
Rwanda & Burundi Two ethnic groups
Tutsi & Hutu Violence between the groups
1990s genocide (intentional destruction of a people)
Densely populated countries Bother former German colonies Lack resources & rely on coffee & tea
Sudan & Uganda
Sudan Is Largest African country Mainly an agricultural country, but also developing some of its
mineral resources Arab Muslims make up 40% of population & have political power Religious conflicts between Muslims & Christians
Recently Genocide in Darfur (10 of thousands of black Sudanese are being killed by an Arab militia group, millions more have fled the region)
Uganda Recovering from decades of military dictatorship Site of an ancient empire Economic progress has been slow Rely on agriculture
The Horn of Africa
Ethiopia Never under foreign rule
Due to mts. Volcanic mts. have very fertile soil
Agriculture main part of economy Many herd sheep & cattle
Serious droughts over last 30 years Christians live in highland regions while
Muslims live in lowlands
Eritrea Once Italian colony & then Ethiopian
province 1993 after years of war Eritrea broke away
Located on the Red Sea Economy has slowly improved Tourists visit coral reefs of region People are mostly farmers & herders Export mainly cotton
Somalia Land of deserts & dry savannas Most are nomadic herders Less diverse
Most are members of single ethnic group Most are Muslim Livestock & bananas are main exports Troubled by civil war Often had no central gov’t
Clans have fought over grazing rights & control over cities
Djibouti Small desert country Lies on the Bab al-Mandab
Narrow strait that connects the Red Sea & Indian Ocean Lies along major shipping route, which has helped this
countries economy 1860s came under French control 1977 gained independence
French still contribute economic & military support Port serves as a major source of income People include the Issa & Afar
Issa tied to the people of Somalia Afar are related to the people of Ethiopia Both groups are Muslim
1990s civil broke out between two groups 2001 peace treaty signed