Lesson 3/55 min
East Africa country notes
Uganda
- Winston Churchill gave it the name “Pearl of Africa”
- Rwenzori National Park is in Uganda
- The Lord's Resistance Army is a guerrilla group of Uganda
- A member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation though not Muslim-majority
Kenya
- Located in east-central Africa
- The “Mau Mau” rebels were Kenyan
- The warrior people are the Maasai; one source says the country was shaped by eruptions of Mount Kenya
Watch out: One source calls Raila Odinga Kenya's first prime minister. In fact independent Kenya's first prime minister was Jomo Kenyatta (1963); Odinga was prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and died on 15 October 2025.
Tanzania
- Tanganyika and Zanzibar united on 26 April 1964; renamed Tanzania later that year (October or November; one source says 29 October)
- Zanzibar is famous for cloves
- Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), is in Tanzania; it is a dormant volcano
- Africa's largest lake, Victoria, lies on the borders of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya
- Dar es Salaam is called the “Haven of Peace”
Watch out: One source gives Kilimanjaro's height as 6,961 m, which is wrong. The correct height is 5,895 m.
Rwanda and Burundi
- Rwanda: a fertile hilly “land of a thousand hills”; among the most densely populated countries of Africa
- Hutu and Tutsi peoples; terrible ethnic violence and genocide in 1994
- Burundi: landlocked; Germany took it in the late 19th century, later Belgium; independent in 1962
Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Zambia: capital Lusaka
- Zimbabwe: the capital Harare was formerly Salisbury; the main people are the Shona; once called Africa's “breadbasket”
Recent news
| Country | What happened |
|---|---|
| Zambia | Hakainde Hichilema won a second term in the 13 August 2026 election with about 60 percent (declared 18 August); the opposition alleged fraud |
| Madagascar | In October 2025, after youth-led protests, army colonel Michael Randrianirina took power and president Rajoelina went into exile; an election is expected in late 2027 |
| Kenya | Raila Odinga died on 15 October 2025 |
Madagascar and Mauritius
- Madagascar: an island country in the Indian Ocean; its people are the Malagasy; one source says the Portuguese navigator Diogo Dias reached it first
- Mauritius: tourism is the main industry; Dutch settlement in 1638; most people are of Indian descent
- Mauritius has a road named after Bangabandhu (one source's claim)
Watch out: One source says the French took Mauritius in 1810. In fact Britain captured it from the French in 1810.
Check yourself
What is Africa's highest peak and in which country?
At a glance
- 1
Winston Churchill gave Uganda the name Pearl of Africa.
- 2
Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), is in Tanzania; its largest lake is Victoria.
- 3
Rwanda suffered an ethnic genocide in 1994 (Hutu and Tutsi).
- 4
Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, was formerly Salisbury.
- 5
Raila Odinga was Kenya's prime minister in 2008 to 2013; he died on 15 October 2025.
- 6
Hichilema won a second term in Zambia in August 2026; the army took power in Madagascar in 2025.