What makes Africa a plateau?

A plateau is a section of land that is relatively flat, due to various reasons. Some plateaus have been formed by erosion and others by volcanic activity. The whole of the country of South Africa is a plateau, with high ground on all but its northern border. This high land drops steeply towards the coast.

Why is the African plateau famous?

The African plateau is famous for gold and diamond mines and the Chottanagpur plateau in India is rich with iron, coal, and manganese. Waterfalls are also found on plateaus and can turn out to be very good tourist spots, for example the Hundru falls and the Jog falls in India.

Is Africa a vast plateau?

The whole of Africa can be considered as a vast plateau rising steeply from narrow coastal strips and consisting of ancient crystalline rocks. The plateau’s surface is higher in the southeast and tilts downward toward the northeast.

Why Africa is called Dark continent?

Africa was known as the “Dark Continent” because it remained unexplored for a fairly long period of time. Factors that made is difficult for the explorer to venture in to the continent of africa were: The largest desert in the world, the Sahara Desert acted as a natural barrier for the European explorers.

What is the name of plateau in Africa?

The East African Plateau is a large plateau in the eastern part of central Africa in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Its elevation is mostly between 1000 and 1500 meters….

East African Plateau
Highest point	1000-1500 m

Why is there a plateau in eastern Africa?

formation. The high plateaus of East Africa and Ethiopia were formed that way. As in parts of Africa, plateaus of that sort can be associated with volcanism and with rift valleys, but those features are not universal. Most of the high plateau in East Africa that holds Lake Victoria does…

What is called plateau?

A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. They are one of the four major landforms, along with mountains, plains, and hills. There are two kinds of plateaus: dissected plateaus and volcanic plateaus.

What is Africa geographically?

Africa, the second-largest continent, is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Africa has eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the savanna, the Swahili Coast, the rain forest, the African Great Lakes, and Southern Africa.

Which is the highest plateau in Africa?

Formed tens of millions of years ago by successive outpourings of lava, the Sanetti Plateau towers over southeastern Ethiopia. The plateau spreads across thousands of square kilometers; with much it at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, it is the most extensive high-altitude feature in Africa.

Who called Africa a dark continent?

explorer Henry M. Stanley
The Dark Continent was named so because it was unexplored by the Europeans and because of the savagery that was expected to be found on the continent. Complete answer:The term Dark Continent was used to refer to Africa by a British explorer Henry M. Stanley in his book.

Who named Africa Africa?

Romans
The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — “land of the Afri” (plural, or “Afer” singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia.

Which plateau in Kenya is referred to as a plateau within a plateau?

The Kinangop Plateau is a region in Kenya that lies between the Kenyan Rift Valley to the west and the Aberdare Range to the east. It takes its name from Kinangop Mountain, which rises in the Aberdares to the east.

Why is Africa called a plateau continent?

Quick Answer. Africa is called a “plateau continent” because much of the land is raised well above sea level, dropping off sharply near the coastline. Additionally, Africa’s continental shelf drops off precipitously, providing deep harbors but limiting offshore resource exploitation.

Where do plateaus occur?

Plateaus occur on every continent and take up a third of the Earths land. They are one of the four major landforms, along with mountains, plains, and hills. Africa is called a “plateau continent” because much of the land is raised well above sea level, dropping off sharply near the coastline.

Why is Africa’s plate tectonic structure unique?

Additionally, Africa’s continental shelf drops off precipitously, providing deep harbors but limiting offshore resource exploitation. Africa’s plateau structure is largely due to its existence on a single tectonic plate. Most of the continent is flat and, despite faults in some areas, free of mountains generated by tectonic collision.

Which is the largest and highest plateau in the world?

Intermontane plateaus are the highest in the world, bordered by mountains. The Tibetan Plateau is one such plateau. The largest and highest plateau in the world is the Tibetan Plateau, sometimes metaphorically described as the “roof of the world”, which is still being formed by the collisions of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates.