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| Highlands of Africa | |
|---|---|
| Name | Highlands of Africa |
| Location | Africa |
| Highest | Mount Kenya |
| Elevation m | 5199 |
Highlands of Africa The highlands of Africa comprise the elevated plateaus, mountain ranges, and volcanic massifs that shape the continent's topography, hydrology, and biogeography. These uplands influence river systems such as the Nile River, Congo River, and Zambezi River and host cultural centers in regions like the Ethiopian Highlands, East African Rift, and Drakensberg. The highlands are key to understanding episodes including the Scramble for Africa, the Aksumite Empire, and colonial-era infrastructure projects like the Ethiopian Railway and the Uganda Railway.
The African highlands span from the Atlas Mountains and Rif mountains in the northwest through the Ethiopian Highlands and the Somali Plateau to the East African Rift system and the Great Escarpment bordering the South African Republic and Lesotho. Northern enclaves include the Ahaggar Mountains and Aïr Mountains, while western uplifted zones encompass parts of the Guinea Highlands and Fouta Djallon. Eastern complexes include Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Virunga Mountains, which link to plateaus in Rwanda and Burundi. Southern highlands include the Highveld and the Drakensberg adjacent to the Orange River basin and the Mozambique Channel coast.
Major regions include the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria, the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria, the Ethiopian Highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Somali Plateau of Somalia and Djibouti, and the East African Highlands encompassing Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Ruwenzori Mountains between Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Virunga Mountains along the DRC–Rwanda–Uganda border are volcanic strongholds. Southern areas feature the Highveld and Drakensberg of South Africa and Lesotho, plus the Waterberg region and the Matobo Hills of Zimbabwe. West African uplands include the Jos Plateau in Nigeria and the Guinea Highlands spanning Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
Highland formation reflects interactions among the African Plate, Somali Plate, and Arabian Plate, with rifting along the East African Rift and uplift from mantle plumes such as the Afro-Arabian hotspot and East African plume. Volcanism produced edifices like Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, and the Virunga Mountains. Orogenic events formed the Atlas Mountains through the Alpine orogeny linked to the Iberian Plate collision. Ancient cratonic shields such as the Kaapvaal Craton, West African Craton, and Sao Francisco Craton underlie plateaus like the Highveld and the Guinea Highlands. Geological features include rift valleys, escarpments like the Great Escarpment, and volcanic calderas such as Mount Longonot and Ol Doinyo Lengai.
Highland climates range from montane tropical conditions in the Ethiopian Highlands and Ruwenzori Mountains to temperate climates on the Highveld and alpine zones on Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. Orographic rainfall shapes ecosystems such as afromontane forests, montane heath, and alpine moorlands hosting endemic flora like the giant lobelias linked to the Eastern Arc Mountains and Afromontane endemism seen in the Albertine Rift. Fauna includes species such as the gelada, the mountain gorilla, the ethiopian wolf, and avifauna concentrated along flyways near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Hydrological contributions feed rivers including the Blue Nile and support wetlands like the Okavango Delta and lakes such as Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi.
Highlands hosted ancient polities like the Aksumite Empire and medieval highland states in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, and they served as refugia for peoples during the Bantu migration and the Arab slave trade. Highland cultures include the Amhara, Oromo, Tigrayans, Somali clans, Kikuyu, Maasai, Shona, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Hausa, Fulani, Mande peoples, and Tiv communities. Colonial encounters involved actors such as the British Empire, French Third Republic, Kingdom of Italy, and German Empire, producing infrastructure like the Uganda Railway and administrative centers in Addis Ababa and Nairobi. High-altitude agriculture and terrace systems developed alongside religious sites including the Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela and cultural landmarks such as Great Zimbabwe.
Highland economies rely on agriculture, pastoralism, and resource extraction; cash crops such as coffee in Ethiopia and Kenya, tea in Kenya and Malawi, and cash-crop estates in Rwanda and Uganda are prominent. Mining operations exploit deposits in the DRC and Zambia for copper and coltan, while quarrying and quarry industries affect areas like the Jos Plateau. Hydropower projects utilize headwaters feeding dams such as the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River and schemes in the Ethiopian Highlands and Zambezi River basin. Tourism centers on trekking to Kilimanjaro, gorilla trekking in the Virunga Conservation Area, and heritage tourism to sites like Lalibela and Great Zimbabwe. Land-use changes include shifting cultivation, tea and coffee estates, grazing by Maasai pastoralists, and urban expansion in cities such as Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kigali, and Harare.
Highland regions face threats from deforestation, soil erosion, invasive species like Lantana camara, and biodiversity loss affecting species such as the ethiopian wolf and the mountain gorilla. Conservation efforts involve protected areas and transboundary initiatives including Virunga National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Simien Mountains National Park, and UNESCO sites like Serra da Capivara National Park and Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela. International actors such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature, African Union, and bilateral donors support reforestation, watershed management, and community conservation in catchments feeding the Blue Nile and Congo River. Climate change impacts on glacial retreat on Kilimanjaro and Ruwenzori affect water security for urban centers including Addis Ababa and Nairobi, prompting research by institutions like the University of Nairobi, Addis Ababa University, and international programs funded by the World Bank and Green Climate Fund.
Category:Geography of Africa