Physical Geography of East Africa

East Africa has a vast range of physical features that vary from rift valleys, plains, and rivers, to mountains. Some people have the misconception that all of Africa is very hot and is all desert. This is not true, because East Africa alone has a lot of different physical features. The equator runs through East Africa making some of it hot. South of the equator, the landscape changes to Savannah making the weather quite tropical. Other parts though, like areas north of the equator are highland areas with dense forests and are rather cool. Places on the coast of the Indian Ocean are quite warm and are made of deserts. East Africa also has the highest point on the whole continent. Mt. Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania and is covered in snow. Much of East Africa lies at high elevations, but Tanzania also has the Serengeti Plain which is one of the largest plains in Africa. There is also the Great Rift Valley which is the largest rift on Earth. There are also many lakes and rivers in East Africa like Lake Victoria which is Africa's largest lake. Other lakes there are so hot that no human can swim in them. This is why I conclude that East Africa had a great variety of physical features.