East Africa
[[Image:LocationEasternAfrica.png|right|thumb|350px|
]]
East Africa or
Eastern Africa is the
easternmost region of the
African
continent, variably defined by
geography or
geopolitics. In the
UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:
*
Kenya,
Tanzania, and
Uganda â€" also members of the
East African Community (EAC)
*
Djibouti,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia, and
Somalia â€" often reckoned as the
Horn of Africa*
Mozambique and
Madagascar â€" sometimes considered part of
Southern Africa*
Malawi,
Zambia, and
Zimbabwe â€" sometimes included in
Southern Africa and formerly of the
Central African Federation*
Burundi and
Rwanda â€" sometimes considered part of
Central Africa*
Comoros,
Mauritius, and
Seychelles â€" small island nations in the
Indian Ocean*
Réunion and
Mayotte â€"
French overseas territories also in the Indian Ocean
Geographically,
Egypt and
Sudan are sometimes included in this region.
Some parts of East Africa have been renowned for their concentrations of wild animals, such as the "
big five" of
elephant,
water buffalo,
lion,
leopard and
rhinoceros, though populations have been declining under increased stress in recent times, particularly the rhino and elephant.
The geography of East Africa is often stunning and scenic. Shaped by global plate techonic forces that have created the
Great Rift Valley, East Africa is the site of
Kilimanjaro and
Mount Kenya, the two tallest peaks in Africa.
The unique geography and apparent suitability for
farming made East Africa a target for
European
exploration,
exploitation and
colonialization in the nineteenth century. Today,
tourism is an important part of the economies of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Period of European Imperialism
East Africa during the
19th and early
20th century became a theatre of competition between the major imperialistic European nations of the time. During the period of the
Scramble for Africa, almost every country comprising the nowadays East African region became part of a European
colonial empire.
Portugal had first among other European nations established a strong presence in southern
Mozambique, while during this period their possessions increasingly grew including parts from the present northern Mozambique country. At
Lake Malawi, they finally met the recently created British
Protectorate of
Nyasaland (nowadays
Malawi), which surrounded the homonymous lake on three sides, leaving the Portuguese the control of lake's eastern coast.
The
British Empire set foot to the region's most exploitable and promising lands acquiring what is today
Uganda, and
Kenya. These Protectorates were located in a rich farmland area mostly appropriate for the cultivation of
cash crops like
coffee and
tea, as well as for animal husbundry with products produced from cattle and goats, such as
goat meat,
beef and
milk. Moreover this area had the potential for a significant residential expansion, being suitable for the relocation of a large number of British nationals to the region. Prevailing climatic conditions and the regions'
geomorphology allowed the establishment of flourishing European style settlements like
Nairobi and
Entebbe.
The
French settled the biggest island of the Indian ocean (and the 4th globally),
Madagascar along with a group of smaller islands nearby, namely
Reunion and the
Comoros. Madagascar until then under British control, was ceded to the
French empire, in exchange for the island of
Zanzibar an important hub of
spices trade, off the coast of
Tanganyika. The British as well held a number of island colonies in the region. The
Seychelles an extended
archipelago and the rich farmland island of
Mauritius, previously under the French
sovereignty, were as such.
The German empire gained control of a large area named
German East Africa, comprised from what is today
Rwanda,
Burundi and the mainland part of
Tanzania named Tanganyika. In 1922, the British gained a
League of Nations mandate over Tanganyika and, afterwards, joined it with their island possession of Zanzibar to form the colony of Tanzania. German East Africa, though very extensive, was not of such strategic importance as the
British Crown's colonies to the north: the inhabitation of these lands was difficult and thus limited, mainly due to climatic conditions and the local geomorphology.
The southern three-fourths of
Somalia became an
Italian protectorate (Italian Somaliland), while a narrow coastal strip of northern Somalia remained under British control (British Somaliland). This northern coast was just opposite the British colony of
Aden on the
Arabian Peninsula; together, they served as the gatekeeper of the
sea lane leading to the
British Raj. The French also had their own outpost on their route to
Indochina, the small protectorate of
Djibouti, also named French Somaliland.
By then, the
Orthodox empire of
Ethiopia alone stood independent. Later, beginning with the Italians buying a small port town (
Assab) from a local sultan in
Eritrea, they were able to colonize Eritrea, while Ethiopia remained independent (though it was briefly occupied from 1936-1941 by Italy during
World War II).
Until recently most governments were
illiberal and
corrupt, and several countries were riven with political coups, ethnic violence and oppressive dictators. Since the end of colonialism, the region has endured:
* Ethiopian Civil War (
Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front and
Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front against the
Derg)
*
Ogaden War*
Second Sudanese Civil War*
Somali Civil War*
Burundi Civil War*
Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in
Uganda*
1998 American embassy bombings in
Nairobi and
Dar es Salaam*
Eritrean-Ethiopian WarKenya and Tanzania have enjoyed relatively stable government. The
Awdal region of Somalia too has seen relative stability.
*
Horn of Africa*
British East Africa*
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
