East Africa
Ancient tribal empires, dramatic and dynamic landscapes
Lying on the eastern fork of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, East Africa is a region of dramatic and dynamic landscapes. The region’s natural heritage includes the five highest peaks in the continent, enormous calderas of extinct volcanoes, and large lakes with the richest freshwater fauna in the world. Its wide savannas and dense thickets are the habitats of Africa’s five common jungle animals: the elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and black rhinoceros while its deep valleys were sheltered to pre-historic man and the ancient rock painters.
Like regions in the north and west, the eastern region’s coastal towns and minor islands were significant trade posts for their European colonizers and the propagation of Christianity. Ancient African tribal villages and kingdoms lie in ruins across the region although age-old rituals associated with nature, death, and agriculture are still practiced in existing communities in the region today.
