CHAPTER 23
East Africa
Section 1: Natural Environments
Section 2: History and Culture
Section 3: The Region Today
SECTION 1
Natural Environments
Question:
What landforms, rivers and
lakes are found in East
Africa?
SECTION 1
Natural Environments
Lakes
• Lake Malawi (tectonic)
• Lake Tanganyika (tectonic)
• Lake Victoria (depression on plateau)
• Lake Albert (depression on plateau)
• Lake Turkana (tectonic)
Rivers
• Blue Nile (flows from
Ethiopian highlands)
• White Nile (flows from Lake
Victoria)
• Nile (combined flows of Blue
and White Nile)
Landforms
• Great Rift Valley (tectonic)
• Kilimanjaro (volcanic)
• Ethiopian highlands
(volcanic)
• Sudd (water from White
Nile)
What physical process created the rift valleys
of East Africa?
• Tectonic processes
caused the land to lift
and crack
rift valley elongated depression, trough, or
graben in the earth's crust, bounded on both
sides by normal faults and occurring on the
continents or under the oceans.
SECTION 2
History and Culture
Question:
Who are the important
peoples in East Africa’s
early history?
SECTION 2
History and Culture
Early History of East Africa
Earliest
Peoples
• no written
histories
• oral tradition
Kush
Aksum
Arabs
• controlled much
of the Nile
• capital at Meroë,
world’s largest
cluster of
pyramids
• conquered the
Kush
• controlled
western Arabia
• adopted
Christianity
• sailed along
coast,
established
ports for trade
• Swahili
developed from
trade
Kingdom of Kush
• controlled much of the
Nile
• capital at Meroë,
world’s largest cluster
of pyramids
Aksum kingdom
• conquered the Kush
• • controlled western
Arabia
• adopted Christianity
Arabs Conquered
• Arabs sailed along
coast, established ports
for trade
• Swahili developed
from trade
• Cash crops start being
cultivated and sold at
these ports.
• Ex: coffee, cotton and
sisal (strong durable
plant-used to make
rope)
SECTION 2
History and Culture
Early History of East Africa
Earliest
Peoples
• no written
histories
• oral tradition
Kush
Aksum
Arabs
• controlled much
of the Nile
• capital at Meroë,
world’s largest
cluster of
pyramids
• conquered the
Kush
• controlled
western Arabia
• adopted
Christianity
• sailed along
coast,
established
ports for trade
• Swahili
developed from
trade
SECTION 3
The Region Today
Question:
What are the region’s
largest cities?
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Headquarters of regional organizations
Nairobi, Kenya
Region’s most important commercial center
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
vital seaport, transportation hub
Khartoum and Omdurman, Sudan
largest cities in Sudan, face each other across Nile
SECTION 3
The Region Today
City
Description
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
largest city and capital of Ethiopia,
headquarters of regional organizations
Nairobi, Kenya
region’s most important commercial center
Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania
vital seaport, transportation hub
Khartoum and
Omdurman, Sudan
largest cities in Sudan, face each other
across Nile
CHAPTER 23
Chapter Wrap-Up
1. How does elevation affect climate in East Africa?
Higher elevation will allow for cool, humid air.
2. What are two ways that Arab traders influenced
East African languages and religion?
Arab traders traded along the ports and the African language
Swahili grammar came about. The Swahili language is a mix
of African and Arabic languages. Islam was spread
throughout the region
Turn to pg 522-525 in your book to answer
question 3-5.
• 3. How have other cultures changed the
traditional religions and diet of East Africa
• 4. What activities form the basis of the
region’s economy?
• 5. Why does tourism hold great economic
potential