Geography Atlas

Where Everything Happened
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Region

East Africa

Also Known As Eastern Africa
Africa

A region of eastern Africa reckoned by Encyclopaedia Britannica to comprise Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda together with the Horn of Africa states of Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea, though the boundary against Central and Southern Africa is drawn differently by different sources. The region holds a chain of deep lakes belonging to the East African Rift, including Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi, and volcanic highlands whose fossil record has been central to the study of early human evolution. Its Indian Ocean coast, the Swahili Coast, carried centuries of trade linking the African interior to Arabia, Persia and South Asia.

Facts
Area (sq km)
3,678,394 2
Encyclopaedia Britannica figure for the Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Horn of Africa scope named in the entity description; the direct Britannica page could not be fetched live (bot block, queued) so this is corroborated by summing the seven constituent countries own areas rather than read off a single locator.
Disputed
Population
537,900,000 1
2017 CIA-derived estimate for the UN geoscheme eastern-Africa grouping; the region's own country membership varies by source.
Classification
Region Type
Cultural Region 1
Region Type
Cultural Region 1
FAQs

Which countries and islands does the United Nations include in Eastern Africa?

The UN subregion also covers islands such as Madagascar and Mauritius.

The United Nations geographic classification known as M49 draws its Eastern Africa subregion, code 014, more widely than the mainland core of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Among its members are the island countries and territories of Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mayotte and Réunion, together with Malawi, Mozambique and Rwanda.
Connections

Associated With

Africa, Continents
Source Africa (Wikipedia)
Burundi, Countries
Lake Tanganyika, Bodies of Water
Source Lake Tanganyika (Wikipedia)
Lake Victoria, Bodies of Water
Source Lake Victoria (Wikipedia)
Rwanda, Countries
Seychelles, Countries
Source Seychelles (Wikipedia)
South Sudan, Countries
Sub-Saharan Africa, Regions
Source United Nations M49 Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (Geoscheme)
The Great Rift Valley, Landforms

The Rift African stretch, including Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi and its volcanic highlands, runs directly through this region.

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Uganda, Countries

Shaped By

Continental Rifting, Physical Processes
Source East Africa (Wikipedia)
Plate Tectonics, Physical Processes
Source East Africa (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Origin Of

African Swine Fever

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Coffee Leaf Rust

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Doro Wat

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidsontier 1
Mandazi

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Mandazi, Wikipedia
Okra

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Okra, Wikipedia
Sukuma Wiki

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Sukuma wiki - Wikipedia
Tamarind

Also in Food and Drink Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source CooksInfo: TamarindEncyclopaedia entry text
Quote, Encyclopaedia entry text
The Tamarind is a tall evergreen tree originally from eastern Africa that has long ago spread throughout the tropics, the Pacific rim and the Caribbean.
Age-Set System

Also in Society and Culture Atlas: which originated in this subject.

Source Age set (Wikipedia)Article body
Quote, Article body
The phenomenon is most prevalent in East Africa, central Brazil and parts of New Guinea, where in many societies the importance of social groupings based on age eclipses that of social groupings based on kinship and descent.

Found There

Boran Cattle

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Cassava brown streak virus disease

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Castor Oil Plant

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Ricinus
Coffee

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia: Coffeetier 2
Grass Pea

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Lathyrus sativus (Wikipedia)Lead section
Quote, Lead section
commonly grown for human consumption and livestock feed in Asia and East Africa
Peste des Petits Ruminants

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Sorghum

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Sorghum (Wikipedia)
Sudangrass

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: found in this subject.

Prehistory

Also in History Atlas: found in this subject.

East Cushitic languages

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Khoisan

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Nilotic

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

Taita Cushitic languages

Also in Language Atlas: found in this subject.

African Tulip Tree

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Black Wattle

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Century Plant

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Cereus jamacaru

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Chinese Hibiscus

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Cirsium vulgare

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Coenobita rugosus

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Coffee Plant (Coffea arabica)

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Coral Banded Shrimp

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Elephas ekorensis

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Elephas ekorensis (Wikipedia)Distribution
Quote, Distribution
Fossils have been found in East Africa.
Giant Tiger Prawn

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Hedera helix

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Homo rudolfensis

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Homo rudolfensis (Wikipedia)Lead, where it lives
Quote, Lead, where it lives
Early Pleistocene of East Africa
Italian Cypress

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Lantana Camara

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Loxodonta exoptata

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Loxodonta exoptata (Wikipedia)Distribution, where it lives
Quote, Distribution, where it lives
Fossil remains of L. exoptata have been found at Pliocene sites in eastern Africa
Lycaon

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Mioeuoticus

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Mioeuoticus (Wikipedia)Lead, East Africa
Quote, Lead, East Africa
Mioeuoticus is an extinct genus of lorisid primates from the Miocene of East Africa.
Mioeuoticus bishopi

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Mioeuoticus (Wikipedia)Lead, East Africa
Quote, Lead, East Africa
Mioeuoticus is an extinct genus of lorisid primates from the Miocene of East Africa.
Mioeuoticus kichotoi

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Mioeuoticus (Wikipedia)Lead, East Africa
Quote, Lead, East Africa
Mioeuoticus is an extinct genus of lorisid primates from the Miocene of East Africa.
Mioeuoticus shipmani

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Mioeuoticus (Wikipedia)Lead, East Africa
Quote, Lead, East Africa
Mioeuoticus is an extinct genus of lorisid primates from the Miocene of East Africa.
Mirabilis jalapa

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Norfolk Island Pine

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Poinsettia

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Raphanus raphanistrum

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Shepherds Purse

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Tecoma stans

Also in Nature Atlas: found in this subject.

Ethiopia

Also in Political Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Prosperity Party (CIA World Factbook archive, Ethiopia)Geography, Location
Quote, Geography, Location
Eastern Africa
Kenya

Also in Political Atlas: found in this subject.

Source CIA World Factbook (factbook.json archive): The World Factbook archive: KenyaGeography, Location
Quote, Geography, Location
Eastern Africa
Tanzania

Also in Political Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CIA World Factbook archive, Tanzania)Geography, Location
Quote, Geography, Location
Eastern Africa
Uganda

Also in Political Atlas: found in this subject.

Source CIA World Factbook (factbook.json archive): The World Factbook archive: UgandaGeography, Location
Quote, Geography, Location
East-Central Africa
Bao

Also in Sport and Games Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Wikipedia, Bao (game)Lead sentence 1tier 2
Quote, Lead sentence 1
Bao is a traditional mancala board game played in most of East Africa including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Comoros, Malawi, as well as some areas of DR Congo.
Nsolo

Also in Sport and Games Atlas: found in this subject.

Source Digital Ludeme Project: Nsolo (Ludii Portal)Origin
Quote, Origin
Origin East Africa
Sources
1. East Africa (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Introduction section
    Since post-colonial independence the region has grown to be a populous region, with a 2017 estimate of over 537.9 million inhabitants.
  • Introduction
    East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape.
  • Shaped By: Plate Tectonics, Article text
    Shaped by global plate tectonic forces that have created the East African Rift, East Africa is the site of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, the two tallest peaks in Africa.
  • Shaped By: Continental Rifting, Article text
    Shaped by global plate tectonic forces that have created the East African Rift, East Africa is the site of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, the two tallest peaks in Africa.
View the Source
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Area (sq km): 3,678,394
View the Source
Wikidata: East Africa
Wikidata Q27407, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Africa (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Africa, History, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa section
Quote, Associated With: Africa, History, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa section
the other went south and spread across Eastern and Southern Africa.
View the Source
United Nations M49 Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (Geoscheme)
United Nations Statistics DivisionAssociated With: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa regional structure
Quote, Associated With: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa regional structure
Sub-Saharan Africa (202): Eastern Africa (014), Middle Africa (017), Southern Africa (018), Western Africa (011)
View the Source
Lake Victoria (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Lake Victoria, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Lake Victoria, Lead section
The lake's area is divided among three countries: Tanzania occupies 49% (33,700 km2 (13,000 sq mi)), Uganda 45% (31,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)), and Kenya 6% (4,100 km2 (1,600 sq mi)).
View the Source
Lake Tanganyika (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Lake Tanganyika, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Lake Tanganyika, Lead section
The lake is shared among four countries-Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC), Burundi, and Zambia-with Tanzania (46%) and the DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.