Eastern Africa

██ Eastern Africa (UN subregion) ██ East African Community ██ Central African Federation (defunct) ██ geographic East Africa, including the UN subregion and East African Community

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.

Background

Image of the region between Lake Victoria (on the right) and Lakes Albert, Kivu and Tanganyika (from north to south) lshowing dense vegetation (bright green) and fires (red)

Eastern Africa consists of two distinct geographic regions: the eastern portion of the African continent that includes Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and the Horn of Africa, which includes Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The Horn of Africa contains a wide diversity of geographical features, ranging from the Ethiopian highlands to the Ogaden desert in southeastern Ethiopia. In essence the Horn of Africa is a penninsula jutting out from the African mainland and bordered by the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean.

The geography of the eastern portion of the African mainland exhibits the same variety of natural features found in the Horn of Africa. East Africa is a land of drastic geographic contrasts, featuring Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya(the two tallest peaks in Africa) and the Great Rift Valley, a deep gorge shaped by tectonic forces. East Africa is also famous for its bodies of water and boasts both Lake Victoria ( the world's second largest freshwater lake) and Lake Tanganyika the world's second deepest lake.

Throughout East Africa, farming flourished on the rich and nutrient rich land. Some scholars argue that the fertile lands of East Africa were a major contributor to European colonialism, as many European powers desired to exploit the agricultural land. Beyond human agriculture, fertile lands also provide a home for a wide variety of wild animals. Some parts of East Africa have garnered worldwide fame for their heavy concentrations of "big five" of elephant, water buffalo, lion, leopard and rhinoceros. Despite declining wildlife populations, East Africa continues to attract tourists looking for contact with big game. Due to the wildlife population, and the dramatic landscape of the area, tourism has become a major component of the Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan economies.

Culture and Religion

Major populations in the Horn of Africa include the Amhara, Tigray, Oromo, and Somali peoples. They are linked together due to deep linguistic and cultural ties, the main tie being the common use of Afro-Asiatic languages. Throughout history the Horn of Africa has been in contact with the Arabian peninsula and Southeast Asia, and both Islam and Christianity are deeply rooted in the cultures of the region.

East Africa also had contacts with the Arabian peninsula early in its history, especially through the island of Zanzibar. While these early contacts contributed to the culture of East Africa, the heaviest cultural influences in the region come from the Bantu Kingdoms near Lake Victoria and the Kenyan cattle raising civilizations in the highlands.

History

Pre-Colonial History

East Africa, due to its coastal location, was heavily involved in trade and developed an export economy early in its history. Early trade in the region is documented by a team of archaelologists who have found Egyptian coins in the port city of Mtambe Mkuu in modern day Tanzania. These coins document East African exportation of furs, gold, ivory,and rock crystals as early as 1000 C.E.

Period of European Imperialism

In the 19th century Scramble for Africa, East Africa became a prime target for European nations looking to expand into the fertile agricultural lands were trading ports were already well established. The only country to escape the demands of European colonialism was Ethiopia, which sucessfully repelled invasion attempts by the Italian. Ethiopia enters the annals of history as the oldest independent nation in Africa.

The first European power to establish a presence in East Africa was Portugal, who set about acquiring a position in southern Mozambique. Using southern Mozambique as a base, the Portuguese expanded their sphere of influence northward, eventually reaching modern day Kenya. Portuguese attempts at expansion stopped only when it reached the British Protectorate of Nyasaland (modern day Malawi). Portuguese forces surrounded the British stronghold and solidified Portuguese control of the entire eastern shore of the lake, a move that prohibited further British expansion in the area.

Despite Portuguese attempts to hinder British expansion, Great Britian succeded in cystralizing its position as a major colonial force in east Africa. British interests in the area primarily focused on acquiring fertile agricultural land, and under this idea it was quick to acquire Uganda and Kenya. Both of these lands boasted extensive wildlife and a long history of cash crop agriculture for exportation. The nutrient rich lands of East Africa were ideal for large scale agriculture especially valuable crops like coffee and tea. Along with agriculture, the British raised large herds of cattle and goats to raise money for the crown, selling both the meat and animal by-products like milk. Due to economic opportunity in the region, the British began to establish residential areas like Nairobi and Entebbe that mirrored residential life in Great Britain. East Africa also recieved many British nationals were were relocated to the region.

The British and Portugues were joined in East Africa by the French, who settled in Madagascar. In an odd twist of history French colonialism in East Africa was aided by the British, as they had ceded Madagascar to France in exchange for control of another island nation in Zanzibar. Smaller islands near Madagascar, especially Réunion and the Comoros also fell under the control of the French.

Germany and Italy also gained strongholds in East Africa, although of less strategic importance than the areas controlled by the Portuguese and the British. Germany exercised control over a larger area than Italy and German East Africa comprised of present-day Rwanda, Burundi and the mainland part of Tanzania named Tanganyika. Tanganyika did not remain under German control for long, however, and was transferred to Great Britain under a League of Nations mandate in 1922. It continued under British rule until it gained its independene in 1961. In 1965 the Zanzibar Revolution united the independent state of Tanganyika to mainland Tanzania and formed the United Republic of Tanzania. German interests in East Africa never proved very politically important, mainly due to the fact that areas occupied by the German had very harsh climatic conditions and settlers often fell to native diseases. Like German territory in East Africa, Italian territory never proved large enough to cause trouble in the international scene. Italy controlled only the southern three-fourths of Somalia, while the British controlled the northern portion. Hemmed in by superior forces Italy was unable to establish a formidable presence in the area.

Conflicts

Until recently most governments were illiberal and corrupt, and several countries were riven with political coups, ethnic violence and oppressive dictators. Since the end of colonialism, the region has endured:

• Ethiopian Civil War
• Eritrean War of Independence
• Eritrean-Ethiopian War
• Ogaden War
• Second Sudanese Civil War
• Somali Civil War
• Burundi Civil War
• Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in Uganda
• Rwandan Genocide

Kenya and Tanzania have enjoyed relatively stable governments. However politics has been turbulent at times, including the attempted coup d’état in 1982.

The Awdal region of Somalia too has seen relative stability.

Tanzania has known stable government since independence although there are significant political and religious tensions resulting from the political union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1965. Zanzibar is now a semi-autonomous state in the United Republic of Tanzania. Tanzania and Uganda fought the Uganda-Tanzania War in 1978-1979, which led to the removal of Uganda's despotic leader Idi Amin.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Davidson, Basil. West Africa Before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 1998. ISBN 0582318521
• Lewis, Brenda Ralph. Great Civilizations. Bath: Parragon Book Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0752561413
• Costantino, Maria. The Illustrated Flag Handbook. New York: Gramercy Books, 2001. ISBN 0517218100
• Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved July 11, 2007.

See also

• Horn of Africa
• British East Africa
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
• History of Africa
• Economic history of Africa
• African archaeology
• Legends of Africa
• History by continent
• Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures
• Pan-Africanism
• West Africa
• North Africa
• South Africa
• Central Africa
• North African Campaign
• Western Desert Campaign
• North African Campaign timeline
• East African Campaign (World War II)
• Afrika Korps
• Panzer Army Africa
• László Almásy Explorer, long range desert specialist and the basis of the English Patient. Discovered the Magyarab tribe of Nubai.