Great Rift Valley
Continental geological split
The Great Rift Valley is a massive geological fracture system stretching roughly 4,000 miles from Lebanon through East Africa to Mozambique.
It formed where tectonic plates are pulling apart, creating a series of valleys, lakes, and volcanic mountains.
The African section includes Lake Tanganyika and Ethiopia's Danakil Depression.
The region is significant in human evolution—many early hominid fossils were discovered there.
East African country, capital Nairobi
- TanzaniaDodoma-capital nation
- EthiopiaHorn of Africa nation
- UgandaEast African republic
- RwandaEast-Central African nation
Burundi · Malawi · Mozambique · Afar Triangle · Red Sea · Dead Sea · escarpment · highlands
Feminine name meaning light
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
- human originsStudy of mankind's emergence
- fossilsPreserved ancient organism traces
hominid · Leakey · stone tools · Paleolithic · archaeological sites · early humans · bipedalism · evolution
Large African grazing antelope
- zebraStriped African horse relative
- giraffeTallest land animal
- lionManed African feline
- elephantTusked gray giant
hippopotamus · flamingo · savanna · migration · Serengeti · national park · safari · conservation
Earth's crust mobility theory
- fault linesFractures between rock masses
- seismic activityUnderground geological movement
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- continental driftGradual landmass repositioning
fissure · geothermal · escarpment · graben · horst · hot springs · fumaroles · magma chamber
Kenya
East African country, capital Nairobi
Rwanda · Burundi · Malawi · Mozambique · Afar Triangle · Red Sea · Dead Sea · escarpment · highlands
Lucy
Feminine name meaning light
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
- human originsStudy of mankind's emergence
fossils · hominid · Leakey · stone tools · Paleolithic · archaeological sites · early humans · bipedalism · evolution · fossil beds
wildebeest
Large African grazing antelope
elephant · hippopotamus · flamingo · savanna · migration · Serengeti · national park · safari · conservation · endemic species
plate tectonics
Earth's crust mobility theory
- fault linesFractures between rock masses
- seismic activityUnderground geological movement
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
continental drift · fissure · geothermal · escarpment · graben · horst · hot springs · fumaroles · magma chamber
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
- safariWildlife observation journey
- LivingstoneVictorian-era African explorer
- BurtonEnglish place or surname
mapping · terrain · trekking · fieldwork · discovery · caravan · route · survey · geographic discovery · expedition journals
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- African NatureAfrican elephants, African lions, Serengeti, Sahara, Congo Basin
- African landscapesSahara, Serengeti, savanna, Sahel, Kalahari
- African Safarielephant, elephants, lions, zebras, zebra
- natural wondersnorthern lights, aurora borealis, auroras, rainbows, Northern Lights
- World RegionsEurope, Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania
Great Rift ValleyHimalayas
Asia's highest range
mountain range · mountain chain · Andes · Alps · Rocky Mountains
Great Rift ValleyCongo rainforest
Second-largest tropical forest
Amazon rainforest · tropical rainforest · lush · Congo Basin · green
great, valley, rift, greatest, greater, greatness, valleys, rifting