East Africa - a subcontinent located in the east of the mainland, unites two physiographic countries: the Ethiopian Highlands and the Somali Peninsula and the East African Highlands (plateau). The region is elongated in a submeridional direction (between 18° north and south latitude). It begins in the north near the southeastern margin of the Sahara, in the west it has fairly clear orographically determined boundaries with the regions of North and Central Africa, in the south it is separated by a system of faults from similar structures. South Africa, reaching the tectonic valley of the lower reaches of the river. Zambezi. In the east, the subcontinent faces the Indian Ocean and its seas.

The subcontinent is located in the most tectonically active part of the African Platform in the development zone of a grandiose complex system of continental rifts, which is unparalleled both in length and amplitude of vertical movements.

East African rift zones occupy a special place in shaping the nature of the region. They are associated with relief features, predominantly mountainous and flat-mountainous, the widespread development of volcanism, including modern, and increased seismicity. Rifts are expressed by grabens, the bottoms of which are often occupied by lakes.

The region is located in the zone of action of the equatorial monsoons of both hemispheres. A characteristic feature of its climates is the extreme differentiation of moisture conditions not only by seasons, but also within the territory. To a large extent, this depends on the fragmentation of the relief and configuration. coastline.

• East Africa is characterized by a great variety of soil and vegetation cover - from evergreen tropical rainforests on windward mountain slopes to the desert landscapes of the Afar Basin.
• Large areas are occupied by savannas of various types. Altitude zonality is expressed in the mountains.
• East Africa is the main watershed of the mainland. From here the rivers of the basins originate indian ocean, mediterranean sea and the river system of the Congo, carrying to the Atlantic.
• The fauna of the subcontinent is very rich and diverse: all the main representatives of the fauna of the African savannas live here.
• East Africa is an area of ​​fairly dense settlement and long-standing agricultural land use.
• The subcontinent has large reserves of minerals. In connection with human activities, the nature of the subcontinent has been significantly changed.
• East Africa is regarded as the ancestral home of man. Perhaps it was here that the species Homo sapiens arose as a result of the evolution of ancient primates.

Ethiopian Highlands and Somali Plateau

This physiographic country includes the Ethiopian highlands, the Afar depression, the plateau and the coastal lowland of the Somali peninsula. In the west, the region borders on the White Nile basin, in the south - on the East African Highlands, in the north and east it goes to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and directly to the Indian Ocean. Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti are located on its territory, in 1993 Eritrea separated from Ethiopia.

As a result of active tectonic movements, a very diverse and even contrasting relief was formed here. The main part of the region is occupied by the Ethiopian Highlands, which is a highly elevated block of the African Platform within the Eritrean anteclise (Nubian-Arabian arch), almost bounded by faults on all sides.

The height reaches 3000-4000 meters, the highest point is Ras Dashan (4623 meters). The steep stepped slopes of the highlands make it difficult to access, which is why it is often called a bastion massif. Fissure eruptions of trachyte and basalt lavas occurred along the fault lines. Covers were formed, having in some places a thickness of up to 2000 meters. Stepped lava plateaus - ambas are typical for the relief of the highlands. Cut in all directions by deep erosive-tectonic valleys-canyons, the ambas look like flat-topped remnants with separate volcanoes. Some of them have been active in historical times. Faults define the lines of the coasts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, limit the subsidence zone - the Afar depression. Its bottom, covered with lavas, is a low plateau with isolated volcanic cones. Separate basins lie below sea level. Lake Assal is the lowest place on the African continent (-153 meters). The Ethiopian graben in the south separates the highlands from the plateau of the Somali Peninsula, they descend in steps to the southeast to the Indian Ocean. The lower step is a wide, low-lying coastal plain. The eastern margin of the peninsula is also bounded by a fault, along which the ocean floor subsided.

In general, the climate of the country is subequatorial, variable humid, but the fragmentation of the relief determines the diversity and contrast climatic conditions region. Local factors of climate formation play here no less a role than general regularities.

Precipitation is mainly associated with the summer equatorial monsoon of the southwest direction. Most of the moisture (1000 mm per year or more) is received by the windward southwestern and western slopes of the Ethiopian highlands. northern slopes are influenced by tropical air. They are dry. Most of the Somali peninsula receives little rainfall (250-500 mm per year). Even on the coast of the Indian Ocean, the climate is arid, as the flow of the southwest monsoon moves along the coastline here. The driest areas are the Ethiopian graben, the coasts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and especially the Afar depression. The entire region, except for mountainous areas, is characterized by high air temperatures: average monthly temperatures are not lower than 20°C, maximum temperatures are up to 40-50°C. The Afar depression is one of the hottest places: the average January there is 24 ° C, the average July is 36 ° C. The Ethiopian highlands are much cooler. Altitude climatic zonality is traced here:

• colla belt (hot) - up to a height of 1500-1800 meters; average monthly temperatures - 20°C and above, the amount of precipitation on the windward slopes - 1000-1500 mm per year;
• war-degas belt (moderate) - up to a height of 2400-2500 meters; small seasonal temperature fluctuations: in December - not lower than 13°С, in April (the warmest month) - not higher than 16-18°С; precipitation - 1500-2000 mm per year;
• degas belt (cold) - on high mountain ranges; average monthly temperatures do not exceed 16°C, in winter there are severe frosts, snow falls; however, there are no glaciers.

Thus, the region combines dry and hot climates of low plains, humid and cool climates of highlands and plateaus, humid and hot climates of the Kolla mountain belt and adjacent flat areas.

The river network is well developed in the Ethiopian highlands. Here originate one of the sources of the Nile - the Blue Nile, the right tributaries of the White Nile - Sobat and the Nile - Atbara, Omo. The Blue Nile carries twice as much water into the main river as the White Nile. Its runoff is regulated by Lake Tana. There are small lakes at the bottom of the Ethiopian graben. On the Somali Peninsula, the river network is poorly developed, most of the rivers dry up, and in the Afar depression there is practically no surface runoff, there are only a few small salt lakes. The river flows into one of them. Avash flowing down from the highlands.

The complex structure of the relief and the contrasts of climatic conditions determine the diversity of the vegetation cover of the Ethiopian-Somali region. In the Ethiopian Highlands, altitudinal zonation is exceptionally pronounced.

On the humid western slopes in the colla belt and in deep valleys with good moisture, dense evergreen tropical forests grow, which are close to equatorial in species composition and structure. The watershed plateaus are occupied by savannahs. Thickets of thorny bushes and xerophytic light forests dominate on dry leeward slopes. The War-Dega belt was once dominated by forests of cedars and yews, which have been largely cut down. The thickets of tree-like juniper and woodlands of deciduous trees - wild olive and fig tree - are better preserved. The main part of the belt is now occupied by a mountain savanna with candelabra-like spurges, umbrella acacias, giant sycamore trees and a rich grass cover of cereals. Coniferous forests of junipers, podocarpus, etc. grow in the lower part of the degas belt. Above, mountain meadows - grasslands with groves of the kusso tree and individual tree-like junipers predominate. Thickets of giant St. John's wort, tree-like heathers, and communities of xerophytic bush grasses appear even higher. The uppermost parts of the mountains are covered with rocky placers, which are covered with snow in winter. In the Afar depression and on the coasts of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, semi-desert and desert vegetation is developed. The interior plateaus of the Somali peninsula are dominated by landscapes of deserted savannahs.

The fauna is common for the savannas and tropical forests of Africa, including mountainous ones.

In the War-Dega belt, there are monkeys that cannot tolerate constant heat - hamadryas, Gverets, Geladas. The fauna of the region has a relatively high degree of preservation even outside protected areas. So, elephants live in the forests of the lower belt of mountains, and this is one of the few places where they do not live in reserves.

The Ethiopian highlands have significant agro-climatic and land resources. Its territory as a whole receives sufficient rainfall for agriculture. Particularly favorable conditions for the cultivation of valuable crops and for the life of people in the war-degas belt with its relatively cool, constantly humid climate and fertile dark red and chernozem-like soils.

Most of the Ethiopian population lives here. This is one of the ancient centers of agriculture. They grow cereals, tobacco, oilseeds, citrus fruits, and grapes. The name of the belt, translated from the language of local peoples, means "grape zone". This belt is considered the birthplace of the coffee tree. In the south and southwest, coffee plantations rise up to 2000 meters. Some cereals also come from here - durum wheat, rye, barley, etc. Only some flat valleys are waterlogged, swampy and unfavorable for life. In the Kolla belt with a hot, humid climate, the population is sparse, but in some places there are plantations of coffee, cotton, and sugar cane. Cattle breeding is developed in dry regions. Cattle breeding (zebu, sheep, goats) is also carried out by the inhabitants of the degas - the cold zone, and only in its lower part, up to a height of 2800 meters, they grow the local teff cereal. At the lower boundary of this belt at an altitude of 2440 m is the capital of Ethiopia - Addis Ababa.

The arid territories of the Somali peninsula are not very suitable for agriculture. The population is concentrated in river valleys and oases, where tropical cash crops are grown on irrigated lands: bananas, sugarcane, cotton, date palm, and for own consumption - cereals and legumes. Most of the population is engaged in cattle breeding. In many places in Afar, desert coasts, the interior of the Somali plateau, even in wells, the water is brackish. There is practically no settled population. In the arid regions of this region, well-preserved bone remains of animals have been found, including ancient primates, which are considered human ancestors.

Large reserves of ore minerals are concentrated in the bowels of the region. There is gold, platinum, ores of copper, nickel, manganese, iron, niobium, uranium and thorium. There are also deposits of piezoquartz, potassium and table salts, native sulfur, mica, and gypsum. But only a small part of this wealth is used.

The main problem in the region is the lack of water in many parts of it. There are severe droughts that cause famine. Drought in the 70s 20th century in Somalia led to a huge reduction in the number of livestock and the death of a large number of people. Drought control is one of the most acute problems in the region. Despite the fairly good preservation of the fauna, many species of animals have been severely exterminated and are even on the verge of extinction. For their protection, several national parks and reserves have been created in Ethiopia and reserves in Somalia. They protect not only animals, but also typical and interesting landscapes, for example, in the territory of Awash Park, where there are manifestations of volcanic activity. Palm forests around hot springs and riverine gallery forests are subject to protection.

East African Highlands

Most of this physiographic country is located in the Southern Hemisphere. In the north, the East African Highlands borders on the Ethiopian along the faults in the area of ​​​​Lake Rudolf, to the south it extends to the valley of the river. Zambezi. The western border with the Congo basin runs along the watershed between the rivers of the Congo basin and the African Great Lakes. In the east, the region faces the Indian Ocean. Within its boundaries are Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania and northern Mozambique. In many features of nature, this physiographic country is similar to the Ethiopian highlands. Tectonic mobility, fragmentation of the relief, manifestations of ancient and modern volcanism, a subequatorial climate with sharp internal differences, and a variety of landscapes dominated by savannah formations determine the similarity of these regions. The rift zones of the East African Highlands are genetically related to the Ethiopian graben, which, in fact, is their continuation to the north. However, the region has a number of natural features that distinguish it from the Ethiopian-Somali country.

With no less tectonic mobility than in the Ethiopian Highlands, the areas of lava covers are not so large in the East African Highlands. There are volcanic massifs, often of considerable height: Kilimanjaro (Kibo peak - 5895 meters, the highest point of the mainland), Kenya (5199 meters), Meru (4567 meters), Karisimbi (4507 meters), Elgon (4322 meters), etc. Among the large and there are many active small volcanoes.

The highlands are located within the anteclise of the ancient African platform with outcrops of crystalline rocks, in some places overlain by continental sediments and lava covers. In the Cenozoic, the rising dome of the anteclise was broken by rift faults. There are three branches of continental rifts. The western rift runs along the entire western margin of the highlands. Within its limits, a system of grabens is formed - from the graben occupied by the valley of the river. Albert Nile, in the north, to the tectonic valley of the lower reaches of the river. Zambezi. Most of them are a chain of narrow, long and deep lake basins (the bottom of Lake Tanganyika lies more than 600 meters below sea level). Between them and along the sides of the grabens there are horst and arched uplifts with an average height of 1000-3000 meters. As a rule, active volcanoes are associated with them. Between lakes Albert and Eduard rises the Rwenzori massif ( moon mountains) reaching in its highest point- Peak Margherita - 5109 meters. The entire area is highly seismic. The central rift begins in the north with the basin of Lake Rudolf and in the south in the basin of Lake Nyasa merges with the western branch. Here, a flat-bottomed valley (the Great Valley, or Rift Valley) with steep slopes (“rift shoulders”) was formed in the graben. At the bottom of it are many small salt lakes. Within this zone eruptions of lavas occurred, and then the central type was formed, which, including the highest massifs of the highlands, rise along tectonic fissures. Calderas are also characteristic of this zone, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater with a diameter of 22 km. The eastern fault zone descends in fault steps towards the Indian Ocean and defines the rectilinear outlines of the coastline. The spaces between the rift zones are dominated by a flat-mountainous relief, more or less leveled, with remnant mountains and uplands.

The subequatorial climate of the highlands has its own characteristics.

In the southern part, winds with an eastern component dominate throughout the year, since the northeastern winter monsoon of the Northern Hemisphere does not change direction when crossing the equator, dragging into the South African baric minimum. In the north, the southwest monsoon dominates in summer. Winter precipitation is orographic, so only the windward slopes of the mountains are irrigated. Humidification of different regions within the highlands is not the same. The largest number precipitation (up to 2000-3000 mm per year) receive high mountain ranges. In the north-west and south-west of the country and on the mountainous coast south of 5 ° S. sh. falls 1000-1500 mm. In the rest of the highlands, the annual precipitation is 700-1000 mm, and in closed depressions and in the extreme northeast - no more than 500 mm. Due to the general high hypsometric level of the East African Highlands, in most of its territory, air temperatures are relatively low (monthly averages are not higher than 19-20 ° C). Only at low altitudes, mainly on the coast, they rise to 23-28°C. Annual amplitudes of average monthly temperatures are up to 5-6°C. There are frosts in the mountains above 2000 meters, snow falls at an altitude of 3500 meters, the highest peaks (Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Rwenzori) have ice caps.

The East African Highlands - the "roof of Africa" ​​- the highest area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mainland and the main watershed of the Indian basins, Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the river starts. Nile, numerous tributaries of the river flow from here. Congo (Lualaba), r. Zambezi, a large number of rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean. The highlands are distinguished by one of the largest clusters of lakes on Earth. The African Great Lakes, occupying grabens in the Western Rift Zone, have an elongated shape and great depths (Tanganyika - up to 1435 meters). They are usually flowing and fresh. In a vast tectonic basin outside the rift zones lies the second largest freshwater reservoir in the world - Lake Victoria. Large masses of water in large lakes have a significant impact on local climates. There are many salt lakes on the bottoms of the grabens in the Central Rift - Natron, Nakuru, etc.

Most of the highlands are occupied by typical savannahs and light forests.

In the most arid northeastern regions, the same plant groups are common as on the Somali Peninsula (desert savannas). Drainage basins of salt lakes are surrounded by salt marshes with halophytic vegetation. In the western regions with a humid climate, the lower slopes of the mountains and the coasts of the lakes were occupied by hylaea, which are now on large areas replaced by mixed forests with an admixture of deciduous species and tall grass savannahs. Altitude zonality is expressed in the mountains. Among the belts, the “belt of fogs” with mountain hylaea (2300-2500 meters) and the belt of mountain meadows with giant lobelia and tree-like crossworts stand out. The nival belt starts at a height of 4,800 meters.

Nowhere in the world is there such a variety of large animals, especially the inhabitants of the savannas.

Antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes and other herbivores once densely populated the highlands. They were hunted by large predators (lions, leopards, cheetahs, etc.). There were many elephants, rhinos, hippos, various monkeys. Prolonged extermination caused a strong decrease in the number of animals, some of the species are on the verge of extinction. Numerous national parks and reserves have been created in the countries of the region, in which the number of animals is regulated. Among the world-famous parks are Virunga, Kagera, Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Ngorongoro (a natural "aviary" bounded by the slopes of the caldera), Nakuru, where 370 species of birds live near the lake, including giant flamingo colonies. Mountain gorillas live in the southern protected part of the Kivu Park.

Scientific research is being carried out in protected areas. The countries of the region receive substantial income from foreign tourists who are attracted here by exotic fauna and flora, unusual landscapes, the possibility of sport hunting under licenses

In addition to land, agro-climatic and biological resources, the East African Highlands has unique reserves fresh water concentrated in the African Great Lakes, which are used both for water supply and as highways, and as a source of fish. The subsoil of the region is rich: there is gold, diamonds, various ores, salts are mined, including sodium carbonate - natron.

The region is densely populated, but unevenly populated. Most people live on the shores of fresh lakes. Maasai pastoralists roam the savannahs of Kenya and Tanzania. Almost all landscapes of the East African Highlands have undergone anthropogenic changes.

The East African Plateau is located southwest of the "Horn of Africa" ​​- the Somali Peninsula, south of the Ethiopian Highlands. The relief of this vast territory is strongly dissected. Here, the highest mountain peaks are adjacent to the deep depressions of the Great Rift Valley. accompanied by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Almost the entire territory is located in the subequatorial climatic zone.

East African Plateau: Exploration in the 19th century

The elevated part of the continent has been poorly studied for many centuries. Although the Kilimanjaro massif was mapped by Ptolemy (II-III century AD). snow has been reported mountain top seafarers and merchants near the equator in the Middle Ages. Colonial fragmentation made it difficult to systematically explore the area.

Initially, part of the territory where the highest peaks of Africa are located belonged to Great Britain. There is a version that in 1889 the English Queen Victoria gave the Emperor of Germany Wilhelm II (her nephew) the largest extinct volcano in Africa - Kilimanjaro. Until 1918, there was another name for its cone in Europe - "Kaiser Wilhelm Peak". The scientific elite showed interest in studying this area in the last decades of the 19th century, when the German Hans Mayer climbed Kibo. Since then, the flow of scientists and tourists who want to see giant volcanoes, picturesque lakes, unusual corners of nature. Income-generating tourism is developing in Tanzania, Kenya and other East African countries.

Geological structure of East Africa

Unlike Asia and America, in this part of the world there are no extended ridges, which is explained by geological history and the most elevated above the level of the World Ocean, a fragmented and mobile block is the East African Plateau. The height of most of the territory is from 500 to 1500 m. The foundation is composed of the oldest crystalline and metamorphic rocks, their age is more than 2 billion years. At the base is the Precambrian platform, a fragment of the Gondwana pro-continent. A sedimentary cover has formed on the surface. In the Cenozoic era, significant movements of the earth's crust took place here, and at the last stage of mountain building, the world's largest zone of faults and uplifts arose.

The absolute height of the East African Plateau is more than 1000 m. The entire territory is characterized by high seismicity, earthquakes occur, and modern volcanic activity is observed. Total length the most significant tectonic disturbances on the planet from north to south is more than 6000 km. Faults go from Western Asia along the bottom of the Red Sea. In Africa, they begin in the northeast with the Danakil depression, and end in the south at the mouth of the river. Zambezi.

Geographical position

The high plain - the East African Plateau - on the map occupies a vast area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mainland, which is crossed by the equator in the northern part. To the west is the Congo Basin.

Termite buildings rise in the savannahs, snakes, lizards, and land turtles are often found. In the north of Tanzania, there is a vast volcanic highland and the world-famous Ngorongoro crater (caldara) with a diameter of 22 km. At its bottom is Lake Magadi, the savannas of the biosphere reserve of the same name. In this part of the mainland (west of the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands) Olduvai Gorge is located, where the remains of ancient man, who lived 2 million years ago, the skeletons of animals he killed, primitive stone axes and scrapers.

Volcanoes and savannas of Africa attract a large number of tourists from all over the world. The largest flow of visitors occurs from June to September. Large national parks and reserves have been created on the territory of the East African Plateau to study and preserve the diversity of nature, organize ecotourism.

These are humid forests with a dense network of full-flowing rivers. The eastern part stands out as sublime, the southern - boundless.

North Africa- the largest part of the continent. It is based on the plate of the African-Arabian ancient platform. The relief of plateaus and hills 300-400 m high prevails. Between them rise the rocky highlands of Ahaggar, Tibesti, Darfur, Jos, formed on the crystalline shields of the ancient platform. In the northwest, the folded Atlas Mountains adjoin the platform.

atlas mountains- a mountainous country, consisting of a system of mountain ranges, intermountain plateaus and depressions. Here on the coastal plains and windward slopes of the mountains with dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters, and on the intermountain plateaus and inner slopes of the ridges, it is dry and severe due to the high altitude. The nature of the Atlas has been greatly altered by man.

The largest tropical desert in the world, its length is 6000 km from west to east and 2000 km from north to south. It owes its existence to the continental tropical climate with precipitation less than 50 mm per year and high temperatures.

Due to the different composition of the rocks, different types of deserts are formed here: rocky-rubbly, pebbly, sandy, clayey. Sandy deserts with dune relief occupy only about 20% of the area of ​​the Sahara.

There is almost no surface water in the Sahara. The only large one that crosses receives food outside of it.

Sudanese plains lie south of the Sahara. They are located in the subequatorial climate zone. The duration of the rainy season decreases from south to north from 10 to 2 months. In Western and eastern parts There are many rivers in the Sudanese plains. The largest of them is the White Nile,. The central part of the plains is an area in the lake, which changes its size and shape depending on the precipitation.

The natural conditions of the Sudanese plains are the most favorable for human life. The population has long been involved in cattle breeding here.

Central Africa covers the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and the basin. The equatorial climate dominates here, there is a dense network of full-flowing rivers.

The northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea is formed by uplands and plateaus, descending in steps to the coastal lowlands. An active volcano (4100 m) is located in the east of the region. On its slopes facing the bay, a record amount of precipitation for Africa falls - 9000 mm per year. The largest river Niger forms a large delta at its confluence with the Gulf of Guinea. Nature has been heavily modified by man, since the area has a long history of development and a high population density.

The central part of the Congo Basin is occupied by moist equatorial forests. They consist of hundreds of species of trees, vines, shrubs and herbs. Diverse and animal world: pygmy okapi giraffes, water deer, elephants, hippos, various monkeys, birds. Along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, forest areas have been greatly reduced due to logging and burning, giving way to light forests and savannahs or plantations of tropical crops.

South Africa located south of the watershed of the Congo and Zambezi rivers. divided into three natural regions.

The South African Plateau is a system of plateaus formed by the protrusions of the platform foundation. The plateau rises to the outskirts of the mainland, and there are depressions in the inner parts. Among them, the largest -. In the southeast, the Dragon Mountains adjoin the plateau. The plateau is located in, but the temperatures here, due to the considerable height, are not as high as in North Africa. Natural areas in accordance with the decrease in precipitation are replaced from east to west. Tall grass savannas are common in the east. These are beautiful pastures and fertile plains. Acacias, aloe, spurges, herbs with powerful rhizomes grow here, blooming brightly during the rainy period. To the west, desert savannas predominate, occupying most of the Kalahari. In the Kalahari there are barren rocky areas. On the coast washed by the cold current is the Namib Desert.

There are few rivers with a constant flow, only navigable. On it is located the majestic. The South African plateau has a rich wildlife. In many areas, hunting is the main occupation of the population.

cape mountains- These are low and medium-height ranges, suitable in the south-west of the mainland to the coast, indented with convenient bays. Subtropical and shrubs with a large number of endemic species grew here in the past. From here, a variety of ornamental plants spread throughout the world. However, the natural vegetation is almost not preserved.

Madagascar- an island region, the relief and climate of which have much in common with the relief and climate of neighboring regions of the mainland. The organic world is characterized by great originality due to the long development in conditions of isolation. Among wild animals there are almost no ungulates and predators, poisonous snakes,

East Africa- the highest part of the continent, called the "roof of Africa". There are two natural areas -

East Africa is an area of ​​dense settlement, and the land for agriculture has been used for a long time. On the Ethiopian highlands, the belt of mountain savannahs up to a height of 2.5 km is most favorable for human life. This belt is considered the birthplace of the coffee tree, durum wheat, rye, barley and some other cultivated plants.

Nowhere in the world is there such a variety of large animals as in East Africa. However, long-term extermination caused a decrease in their number, so national parks have been created in many countries. Kagera, Mnunt-Kenya, Serengeti, Kivu are world famous. The exotic nature and the possibility of sport hunting attract a large number of foreign tourists to the parks, which brings income to the countries of this region.

in which countries is the east African plateau thanks in advance and got the best answer

Answer from Alexander[guru]
East African Plateau
stretches between the Ethiopian highlands in the north and north. end of the lake Nyasa in the south at 1750 km, between the Congo depression in the west and the coastal plains of the Indian Ocean in the east - at 1400 km (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi). Altitudes 500–1500 m, in the west of the Rwenzori mountains (Margherita peak, 5109 m), Virunga massif. To the south are the flat-topped Mitumba Mountains (3305 m). On SW. plateau cones of volcanoes Elgon (4221 m), Kenya (5199 m), Meru (4566 m), Kilimanjaro (5895 m); in the center is the Crater Highlands with the Ngorongoro Caldera. A large uplift of the ancient African platform, broken by a system of faults, united under the name of the East African Rift System. Composed of ancient crystalline and young volcanic rocks. High seismicity and modern volcanism are characteristic. Deposits of coal, fluorite, polymetallic ores and rare metals; placers of precious stones, diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe Mwadui. The largest rivers in Africa originate on the plateau: the Nile, the Congo, the Zambezi. A series of large lakes (Victoria, Edward, Tanganyika, Rudolf, etc.); modern glaciers on the volcanoes of Kilimanjaro, Kenya and in the Rwenzori massif. The climate is equatorial and subequatorial, seasonally humid, hot. Savanna woodlands and shrubs predominate. In the mountains, tropical rainforests, subalpine and alpine meadows. National parks Virunga, Serengeti and a number of others. Investigated by Europeans in the second half of the XIX century. (D. -H. Speke, R. -F. Burton, D. -O. Grant, D. Livingston, G. -M. Stanley, etc.).

Answer from Yoi Pidril[newbie]
Ethiopia

Answer from Sewerka[guru]
The East African Plateau is a plateau in Africa, located in the southeast of the mainland, in the eastern part of Central Africa. In the north of the plateau are Mount Meru, Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as the largest African lake Victoria. The plateau is highly fragmented by the East African Rift Valley and limited to its southern part. In the center is the Crater Highlands with the Ngorongoro Caldera. On the plateau are the origins of the most major rivers Africa: Nile, Congo, Zambezi.

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: in which countries is the East African plateau located in advance ATP

The East African Plateau is located on both sides of the equator, between the Congo Basin in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east, Eastern Sudan, the Ethiopian Highlands, the Somali Peninsula in the north and the lower reaches of the Zambezi in the south and covers the space from 5 ° N. sh. to 17°S sh.

The plateau is a mobile, tectonically active part of the African platform. The greatest system of rifts and the greatest heights of the mainland are concentrated here. It is composed of Precambrian crystalline rocks, among which granites are widely developed. The ancient basement is covered in places by Paleozoic and Mesozoic, mainly continental deposits.

The plateau has long been an elevated area. In the Cenozoic, grandiose tectonic faults and rifts arose. They continue the grabens of the Red Sea and the Ethiopian Highlands and branch south of Lake Rudolf, forming the western, central, and eastern fault systems. Rifts are expressed in the relief as narrow depressions with steep stepped slopes; high mountain ranges rise along their edges (the Rwenzori massif, the volcanoes of Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Elgon, etc.). Volcanic activity along the faults has not ended at the present time. The areas not affected by faults have the appearance of a typical peneplain with insular mountains. There are also extensive basins on the plateau (Lake Victoria).

Western fault system runs along the western edge of the plateau and includes deep grabens,

occupied by the valley of the Albert Nile, lakes Albert (Mobutu-Sese-Seko), Edward, Kivu, Tanganyika. From Lake Tanganyika, it stretches through the basin with the endorheic Lake Rukva, the tectonic basin of Lake Nyasa, the valley of the Shire River and the lower reaches of the Zambezi. Fault tectonics is especially pronounced here. This is one of the most seismic zones of the mainland and the arena of modern volcanism.

The grabens of the Albert and Eduard lakes are separated by the Rwenzori horst massif, the most high peak Africa (5119 m) after Kilimanjaro (5895 m) and Kenya (5199 m). The massif is composed of gneisses, crystalline schists and intrusions of basic rocks, has glacial forms of Quaternary and modern glaciation (kars, cirques, trough valleys, terminal moraines), giving an alpine character to the topography of its peaks.

Between the grabens of Lakes Eduard and Kivu is located Virunga volcanic region(seven volcanoes). Here, in addition to active volcanoes, new volcanic cones are also formed. Ancient lavas cover the tectonic trough between the basins of the Kivu and Tanganyika lakes.

Underwater volcanic eruptions occur at the bottom of Lakes Kivu and Nyasa

Adjoins the northern segment of the western fault system from the east lake plateau(Uganda Plateau), located between lakes Edward, Albert, Victoria and the White Nile basin. The plateau has a wavy surface, is composed mainly of crystalline rocks and reaches a height of 1000 to 1500 m. central part the plateau is swampy

186 Africa. Regional overview

plain with Lake Kyoga. The plateau breaks off with stepped slopes to the East Sudan Basin, in the east it merges with the volcanic plateau of Kenya.

Central fault system serves as a continuation of the Ethiopian graben, runs in the meridional direction from Lake Rudolf in the north to Lake Nyasa in the south, where it merges with the western fault system.

In the northern part of the central faults, within the volcanic plateau of Kenya, the volcanic relief is especially pronounced. Extinct volcanoes Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Elgon and a group of giant craters rise along tectonic cracks, the edges of which are covered with basalts and tuffs. In a group of giant craters, the Ngorongoro volcano stands out with a huge caldera.

Between the western and central fault system, on the one hand, and Lakes Victoria and Nyasa, on the other, is located Unyamwezi plateau. It is composed of granites and is heavily swamped. To the east are the Nyasa and Masai plateaus. These are peneplains on a granite base, broken by faults and crowned with rounded crystalline remnant peaks.

Eastern fault system represented mainly by unilateral faults. From the west, they limit by ledges a narrow coastal lowland, composed mainly of permeable Tertiary sandstones and limestones.

The climate of the East African Plateau is subequatorial, hot, variable-humid, with a pronounced climatic zonality on high mountain ranges. Only in the vicinity of Lake Victoria, on the Lake Plateau, does it approach the equato-

real both in terms of the amount and regime of precipitation, and in the even course of temperatures, which, however, due to the high altitude of the terrain, are 3-5 ° C lower than the average monthly temperatures of the equatorial strip in the Congo Basin.

Trade winds and equatorial monsoons dominate within the plateau. In the winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, the northeast trade wind, without changing its direction, is drawn into a baric depression over the Kalahari. Passing over the ocean from Southeast Asia to Africa, it is moistened and releases a small amount of precipitation, mainly orographic. In the summer of the Northern Hemisphere, the south trade wind (southeast wind) intensifies; passing through the equator, it acquires the character of a southwest monsoon. The main wet period is also associated with them; most of the precipitation falls on the windward slopes of the mountains.

High temperatures observed only at low altitudes, especially on the coast of the Indian Ocean. In Dar es Salaam, for example, average temperature the warmest month (January) +28 °С, the coldest (August) +23 °С. It becomes cooler with height, although the annual course remains uniform. In the mountains at an altitude of more than 2000 m, the temperature is below 0 ° C, above 3500 m snow falls, and on the highest massifs - Rwenzori, Kilimanjaro and Kenya, there are small glaciers.

Humidification of various parts of the East African Plateau is not the same. The greatest amount of precipitation (up to 2000-3000 mm and more) is received by high mountain ranges. From 1000 mm to 1500 mm of precipitation falls in the northwest and southwest of the country, as well as on the coast of the Indian

East African Plateau 187

ocean south of 4 ° S. sh., where the mountainous meridional coast delays moist winds from the Indian Ocean. In the rest of the plateau, 750-1000 mm of precipitation falls annually, falling in the extreme northeast and in closed depressions to 500 mm or less. Kenya is the driest region of the plateau, with a long rainless period of 7 to 9 months.

For territories located between 5 ° with. sh. and 5°S sh., the equatorial precipitation regime is characteristic, with two rainy seasons (March-May and November-December), separated by two periods of their relative decrease. To the south, they merge into one rainy season (from October-November to March-April), followed by a dry period.

The East African Plateau occupies a watershed - a position between the basins of the Atlantic, Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. In the north-west of the region, the Nile originates, the system of which includes lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert and Edward. Lakes Tanganyika and Kivu belong to river system Congo; Lake Nyasa drains into the Zambezi. In the central part of the plateau there are drainless lakes (Rudolf, Ruk-va, Baringo, etc.). In terms of size, depth, impact on runoff and climate, the plateau lakes are comparable to the Great Lakes of North America.

The tectonic fragmentation of the plateau, the variety of relief and climatic conditions determine the diversity and variety of landscapes. The interior is dominated by typical savannahs with rather large tracts of light forests and shrubs that shed their leaves during the dry season. The vegetation consists of cereals, acacias, mimosas, baobabs, tama-

risks, spurges, etc. Red-brown soils are developed under typical savannahs and light forests on the plains, black tropical soils are developed in poorly drained depressions of the relief, and young brown tropical soils are on the main volcanic rocks.

In arid northeastern regions (the plateau of Kenya, north of 2°-3° N), on red-brown soils, deserted savannas and thickets of thorny shrubs of xerophytic, leafless acacias are developed for most of the year, in places turning into semi-desert. Similar and more arid landscapes are characteristic of deep depressions of the central fault system, where drainless lakes are half-filled with sand, covered with a crust of salts, and surrounded by solonchaks with halophytic vegetation.

Sparse, semi-desert vegetation cover has and Northern part coastal lowlands off the coast of the Indian Ocean. In the southern part of the lowland, semi-deserts are replaced by savannahs, red-brown soils give way to red ones; mixed deciduous-evergreen forests appear along the rivers and on the windward slopes of the mountains. Mangroves are developed along the coast.

In wet areas
common humid equatorial
forests on red-yellow soils and
mixed deciduous-evergreen

nye - on red soils. They are mostly cut down and replaced by secondary formations - wet tall grass savannahs. Evergreen and mixed forests are found mainly in the west (Lake Plateau), where they merge with the hylaea of ​​the Congo Basin, as well as on the windward wet slopes of high mountain ranges.

188 Africa. Regional overview