East Africa
eafh.com
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African
continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of
geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda – also members of the East African Community (EAC)
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia – often reckoned as the Horn of Africa
Mozambique and Madagascar – sometimes considered part of Southern Africa
Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – often included in Southern Africa, and formerly
of the Central African Federation
Burundi and Rwanda – sometimes considered part of Central Africa
Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles – small island nations in the Indian Ocean
Réunion and Mayotte – French overseas territories also in the Indian Ocean
Geographically, Egypt and Sudan are sometimes included in this region.
East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the
countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and also Rwanda, Burundi, and
Somalia.[2]
Geography
Some parts of East Africa have been renowned for their concentrations of wild
animals, such as the "big five" of elephant, water buffalo, lion, leopard and
rhinoceros, though populations have been declining under increased stress in
recent times, particularly the rhino and elephant.
The geography of East Africa is often stunning and scenic. Shaped by global
plate techonic forces that have created the Great Rift Valley, East Africa is
the site of Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, the two tallest peaks in Africa. It
also includes the world's second largest freshwater lake Lake Victoria, and the
world's second deepest lake Lake Tanganyika.
The unique geography and apparent suitability for farming made East Africa a
target for European exploration, exploitation and colonialization in the
nineteenth century. Today, tourism is an important part of the economies of
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
