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Eastern Africa
Lesson 44:
Political Features of Eastern Africa
Seven countries are included in our study of Eastern Africa. Six countries are part of mainland
Africa. Seychelles, an
archipelago
of approximately 100 islands and many
cays
and small
islets
(islands), is located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Kenya and Tanzania
(LLB=Lesson 37)
.
Seychelles is the smallest country inAfrica, with an estimated 108 squaremiles of land area.
Like other regions in Africa, Eastern Africa has a rapidly growing population of more than 157
million people. Ethiopia is themost populated countryin the region, withmore than 73million people.
Ethiopia is alsooneof thepoorest countries in theworld.Overpopulation, famines and starvation, civil
wars, and an unstable government are creating severe problems for Ethiopians.
The countries of Eastern Africa are made up of many different groups of people, each with their
own languages, foods, and traditions. InKenya, therearemore than70 tribal groups, andgeographers
estimate that Tanzania has 120 different groups of people.
ACTIVITY 1:
Let’s travel to the countries of EasternAfrica.Duringour tour wewill stopat each country’s capital city.
We will document our trip on the regional map of Eastern Africa on the next page. Use the political
map of Africa in your classroom atlas as a resource and travel guide.
A)
Use the numbers in the
Travel Itinerary
below to locate each country andwrite the name of each
country in the blank space on your regional map.
B)
Next, use the letters in the itinerary below to locate and label the country’s capital city.
C)
After you have completed Step A and B above, use colored pencils to trace the borders of each
country inEasternAfrica.
Travel Itinerary
Country
Capital City
Climate/Weather
1.
Eritrea
a.
Asmara
2.
Djibouti
b.
Djibouti
3.
Ethiopia
c.
Addis Ababa
4.
Somalia
d.
Mogadishu
5.
Kenya
e.
Nairobi
6.
Tanzania
f.
Dar esSalaam
7.
Seychelles
g.
Victoria
ACTIVITY 2:
Locateeachcapital city inEasternAfricaon theclimatemap inyour classroomatlas. In the thirdcolumn
of your
Travel Itinerary
write the climate youwould expect to experiencewhen you visit that city.
Or
Using the Internet, research today’s weather for each capital city.Youmay write theweather for each
city in the third column of your
Travel Itinerary
or youmay draw aweather symbol.
Tourists
from all
over the world visit the
national parks and game
preserves of Kenya and
Tanzania to see the
wildlife of Africa.
