Thursday, 10 November 2022 12:48

Main Physical Features in Eastern Africa - Social Studies CBC Grade 6 Notes

 

  • Physical features are naturally things found on the surface of the earth
  • They include:
    1. Mountains
    2. Valleys
    3. Plateaus
    4. Ocean
    5. Seas
    6. Gorges
    7. Plains
    8. Lakes
    9. Rivers
    10. Swamps
    11. Hills, rangers

The Main Physical Features In Kenya

  1. Mountains
    • Are masses of very high land.
    • They are the highest physical features on the earth.
    • Major mountains in Eastern Africa
      KENYA TANZANIA  UGANDA SUDAN ETHIOPIA
      Mt.kenya Mt.kilimanjaro Ruwenzori Jabel-marra Ras dashan
      Mt.longonot Mt.meru   Nubadarfur Guna
      Mt.marsabit Pare mts   Kissu Danakil alps
      Mt .kulal Ngorongoro crater      
      Menengai crater Lool molasin      
  2. Rift valley
    • A valley is a low lying are with steep slopes.
    • In Eastern African the rift valley has 2 branches that stretch across several countries
    • The two branches are the eastern rift valley and the western rift valley
      004 rift valley
  3. Lakes
    • A lake is a water body that is surrounded by land
    • A hollow/depression filled with water
    • We have
      1. Fresh water lakes
      2. sailty water lakes
    • Main lakes in eastern Africa are
      KENYA UGANDA  TANZANIA ETHIOPIA RWANDA
      Turkana 
      Baringo 
      Bogoria  
      Nakuru   
      Elementaita  
      Naivasha 
      Magadi 
      Jipe 
      Chala
      Albert
      Edward
      Bunyonyi 
      Bisini 
      George
      Kyoga 
      Kivu
      mutanda
       Natron
      Manyara
      eyasi  
      Rukwa
      Malawi  
      tanganyika
      Chamo
      Abaya 
      Steffanie
      Shala
      tana
      ruhondo
      kivu
  4. Plains
    • Are low lying areas of almost flat land.
    • Examples
      KENYA UGANDA TANZANIA  SOMALIA
      Lotikipi, awara, kano,  Luwero  Serengeti  Bilesha
      Kaputei, loita,  Nakasongola   maasai  Sarar
       Budalangi,kapiti      Haded
       bilesha      

Formation Of Main Physical Features Of Eastern Africa

Formation Of Volcanic Mountains

  • They are also called volcanoes
  • They are formed through the process of volcanicity/eruption.
  • Eruption is when the hot molten material underground is forced out by great pressure
  • The hot molten material is called magma
  • When magma gets to the surface is called lava
  • The magma gets out through a main pipe called vent
  • The opening at the top of a volcanic mountain is called a crater
  • Most mountains in eastern africa are volcaning mountains
    005 volcano
    KENYA TANZANIA RWANDA 
     Kenya 
    Elgon 
    Longonot 
    Menengai crater
    Marsabit
    Suswa
    Kulal
     Mt meru 
    Mt Kilimanjaro
    Ngorongoro
    Lool malsin
     Mt karisimbi
    Nyiragongo

Formation of Block Mountains

  • They are also called horst mountains
  • They were formed through faulting and uplifting process
  • Faults are lines of weakness
  • Faults were developed as a result of forces acting on the layers of the earth
  • The forces involved are tensional and compressional forces
  • The middle block was pushed upward by underground forces
  • The underground forces called up thrust force
  • Examples
    ETHIOPIA UGANDA  TANZANIA
     Danakali  alps  ruwenzori  Pare
    usambara

    006 faults

Formation Of The Rift Valley

  • The rift valley was formed when two cracks or fault line formed within the crustal rocks
  • The land between the two faults sunk forming a valley
  • Was formed through the faulting process
  • Formed by either tensional or compressional forces
  • When two parallel faults developed the tensional forces pulls the rocks apart
  • The middle block between the faults sink
  • The steep sides of a rift valley are called escarpments
    007 faults

Formation Of Lakes

  • The major lakes in eastern African were formed as a result of
    1.  Faulting
    2. River deposition
    3. Down warping
    4. Volcanicity

Rift Valley Lakes

  1. During the formation of the rift valley, some parts of the land sunk deeper than others forming depressions.
  2. The depressions were filled with water to form lakes
  3. Example – lake Tanganyika in TZ

Lakes Formed As A Result Of Down Warping

  1. Down warping is a process by which the earth sinks inwards due to pressure forming a big basin.
  2. Water fills this basin to form a lake.
    Example: lake Victoria in Kenya

Lakes Formed As A Result Of Volcanicity

  1.  Lava dammed
    • Lava dammed lakes are formed when lava flow on the surface of the earth and comes int contact with a river, blocking it
    • This leads to the formation of a lake
      Example: lake kivu in Rwanda
  2. Crater lakes
    • When volcanic eruption occurs, the top of the mountain may be blown of forming a hallow depression called crater.
    • Water fills the hallow depression forming a crater lake.
    • Example; Lake paradaise in Kenya, Ngozi in Tanzania and Shalla in Ethiopia.

Formation Of Plains

  • Plains are wide low lying areas of flat land.
  • Plains are formed as a result of erosion and deposition of the eroded materials.

Map Of Eastern African Showing Main Physical Features

008PhysicalFeats

Conserving The Physical Features Within The Locality

We should protect and conserve physical features found in our locality

  1.  Prevent overuse and deforestation of forest.
  2. Avoid pollution of water bodies.
  3. Educate people on importance of physical features.
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