Climatic Regions In Eastern Africa - Social Studies CBC Grade 6 Notes

• Main Climatic Regions In African
  
  • Characteristics Of The Main Climatic Regions Of Eastern Africa
  • Characteristics Of Modified Equatorial
  • Characteristics Topical Climatic Region
  • Characteristics Mountain Climatic Region
  • Sub Tropical Climatic Region
  • Characteristics Of Semi Arid Climatic Region
  • Characteristics Of Desert Climatic Region
  • Characteristics Of Semi Arid Climatic Region
• Influence Of Climatic Regions On Human Activities In Eastern Africa

Main Climatic Regions In African

• Climate is the average weather condition of a given place for a very long period of time.
• Climatic regions refer to continuous geographic area with similar climatic characteristics.
• Areas with similar climatic characteristics conditions are grouped together to form a climatic region
• Climatic regions in Eastern Africa include
  
  1. Equatorial
  2. Tropical
  3. Sub tropical
  4. Desert
  5. Mountain
  6. Semi desert
  7. Modified equatorial

Characteristics Of The Main Climatic Regions Of Eastern Africa

• Characteristics of equatorial region
• High rainfall throughout the year above 1500mm
• Receives convectional rainfall
•  Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year
• High temperatures throughout the year
• Annual average temperatures of about 26 ̊ C
• High humidity throughout the year
• Two rainfall peaks between April - May and November - December
• Small range of temperatures
• No distinct dry season

Characteristics Of Modified Equatorial

• High rainfall between 1000m-2000mm per year
•  Moderate temperature of about 22ºC (due to low altitude
• Convectional rainfall due to nearness to large water bodies
• High humidity throughout the year due to high rate of evaporation
• it has two main seasons wet and dry
• Long rains between march-may
• Short rains between October – December.

Characteristics Topical Climatic Region

• Has hot wet seasons and cool dry seasons
• Cooler seasons have no rainfall hence remains dry
• Hotter seasons receives a lot of rainfall hence they are wet
• Rainfall is between 750mm – 1200mm
• Has two distinct rainy seasons
• Long rains between march-may
• Short rains between September – October.
• Temperature average is 21 ̊ c – 32 ̊ c

Characteristics Mountain Climatic Region

• High relief rainfall between 1100mm – 2500mm
• Cool/low temperatures due to high altitude (at the peak of the mountain
• Leeward sides are cool and dry
• Peaks of high mountains are permanently covered by snow

Sub Tropical Climatic Region

• Cool or moderate temperature between 18c and 23 c
• High rainfall between 1100mm and 2500mm per year
• Rainfall is throughout the year

Characteristics Of Desert Climatic Region

• Low/unreliable rainfall below 250mm per year
• Rainfall is irregular
• High temperatures of up to 40 ̊
• Clear/cloudless skies throughout the year
• Very high diurnal range of temperatures
• Hot and dry most of the months of the year
• Prolonged drought

Characteristics Of Semi Arid Climatic Region

• Long dry season
• High throughout the year.
• Rainfall range between 250mm- 680mm per year
• In arid and semi arid areas, pastoralism is the main economic activity. The areas receives low rainfall that cannot support crop farming
• In tropical areas where rainfall is reliable crop farming is practised as the main economic activities
• Too much rain leads to flooding ad destruction of crops and property
• Drought leads to famine and loss of livestock
• Appreciating the climatic regions of Eastern Africa

Influence Of Climatic Regions On Human Activities In Eastern Africa

• In arid and semi arid areas, pastoralism is the main economic activity. The areas receives low rainfall that cannot support crop farming
• In tropical areas where rainfall is reliable crop farming is practised as the main economic activities
• Too much rain leads to flooding ad destruction of crops and property
• Drought leads to famine and loss of livestock