One of these large regions is the vast The Serengeti Plain is host to an extraordinary diversity of large mammals and fauna. A number of other volcanic peaks are present in the Eastern Rift, such as The erosion patterns of the highlands have caused a buildup of sediments on the rift valley floor, creating a favorable environment for the preservation of biological remains, including both human and animal remains. Coffee has been and continues to be a main export crop. Book The Highlands, Asilia Africa, Ngorongoro Conservation Area on Tripadvisor: See 271 traveler reviews, 301 candid photos, and great deals for The Highlands, Asilia Africa, ranked #4 of 39 specialty lodging in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and rated 5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Swahili, an indigenous language, is the lingua franca, and English is used in the higher legal courts and in the universities for higher education.

They are extremely endangered: only about seven hundred mountain gorillas live in Africa. Credit: Taisequa Estate . Ullapool from Mapcarta, the free map. The Congo River Basin of Central Africa dominates the landscape of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and much of neighboring Congo. Off the coast of East Africa is the island of Tanzania is an agricultural country; as much as 80 percent of the people make their living off the land. Physical Geography. East Africa is the cradle of mankind, as the first species of the Homo genus evolved here, and migrated to the rest of the world. The central highlands are home to the city of Mutare – the biggest settlement in the region – but the real draw is the Bvumba Mountains, where lush forests are home to rare bird species and the samango monkey. Poaching, habitat loss, disease, and warfare have devastated their populations in the past century.Uganda is a poor country and has experienced serious political and ethnic conflicts in recent decades. The government has stepped up efforts to expand the tourism sector of the economy. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Birds attract other wildlife, which in turn creates a unique set of environmental ecosystems. km) in size and contains almost 20% of the world's rain forest. Severe Drought Causes Famine in East Africa. This map of the most recent growing season in East Africa reveals the poor conditions that led to famine in parts of Somalia and a food emergency in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti. This is a dry region because the Ngorongoro Highlands create a rain shadow for the area.Dozens of other protected areas throughout Eastern Africa have been established in an effort to protect and sustain the valuable ecosystems for the large animals that have found their habitat encroached upon elsewhere by the ever-expanding human population. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! The various kingdoms and their powerful leaders kept the colonial forces out well beyond World War I. Somalia’s close vicinity to the Arabian Peninsula and the prevalence of Arab trade provided a direct connection through which Islam was quickly diffused from Arabia to Africa. The largest city in the region, Nairobi is an ever-expanding city that draws in people from rural areas seeking opportunities and advantages. 1 for the lo-cation map). Most of the population lives in the capital city of Djibouti, where the unemployment rate is extremely high. The lakes have higher levels of sodium carbonate and mineral buildup because of a high rate of evaporation. Important fossils and bones of several hominid species have been found in the Great Rift Valley. Agriculture is the principal employment of Uganda’s labor force, and most workers earn fewer than two dollars per day US equivalent. In the Valley of the Giants you’ll find Zimbabwe’s oldest tree, a mahogany estimated to be at least a thousand years old.The best time to visit the Eastern Highlands is April to July, although in these winter months there are plantation fires which can make the sky hazy. Population growth without economic growth places a heavy strain on Uganda’s natural resources.With more than eighty-five million inhabitants, Ethiopia has the second-largest population in Africa; Nigeria has the largest population. Running alongside the Mozambican border for some 300 kilometres, the Eastern Highlands is a mountainous area of spectacular natural beauty: rolling hills, green forests, rugged peaks, misty valleys, deep gorges, cascading waterfalls, and … The causes of the recent re-emergence of malaria in the East African highlands probably involve a complex interplay among multiple factors, including climate, land use, topography, inadequate use of antimalarial drugs and drug resistance, socioeconomic status, health policy and public health control measures. Credit: Taisequa Estate . The rural nature of the population signifies that the country is at the lower end of the index of economic development with larger families and lower incomes. While the seasonal north-south amplitude of the African monsoon is limited, that of the Indian Ocean, from 15 °S to 25 °N, is the greatest in the world. Every fall and spring, as many as two million wildebeests, antelope, and other grazing animals migrate from the northern hills to the southern plains in search of grass and food. The Rwenzori Mountains and the Virunga Mountains shadow the country from the west. miles (3,600,000 sq. Mountain gorillas, an eastern gorilla subspecies, inhabit this region. Most of the Ethiopian Highlands are part of central and northern Ethiopia, and its northernmost portion reaches into Eritrea.

Tanzania is unique in this aspect; an indigenous language—that is, Swahili—was chosen as the lingua franca rather than the colonial language. Chimanimani national reserve: management plan. International connections are indicative of local economic development, which is causing the urban areas to grow at exponential rates.